3 Reasons Why People Avoid Mental Health Care

Mental health care awareness is on the rise and more people than ever are getting the treatment that they need. But there is still a long way to go and there are a lot of people out there that need treatment and aren’t getting it.

Over the past almost 20 years, I've been learning how to cope with my mental health issues. I've been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While my disorders may not be as severe as others, they are still ones that I work through daily in order to live and function with my family.

In some cases, that is because they don’t have the right access to treatment but a lot of the time, it’s because they are not seeking that help. There are so many reasons that people use to justify not seeking help for their mental health problems, and most people that are currently in treatment probably used a lot of those excuses in the past.

The problem is, it’s easy to avoid treatment and people don’t realize that they’re doing it, so it’s important that you learn how to spot these avoidance tactics in yourself. These are the most common reasons that people give for not seeking treatment. 

3 Reasons Why People Avoid Mental Health Care

Somebody Else Has It Worse 

So many people tell themselves this and it stops a lot of people from getting the treatment that they need. They are struggling with their mental health but they aren’t suicidal, so they tell themselves that it’s not a real problem. They can still hold down a job, so it’s not a real problem. They still go out with friends, so it’s not a real problem. Other people out there have it worse, they’re the ones that really need treatment.

It’s easy to convince yourself that you are just exaggerating the problem and you don’t need treatment because your mental health issues are not as bad as other people’s but you would never have that attitude toward any other health concern. If you broke your arm, you wouldn’t tell yourself that you don’t need to go to the doctor because somebody else might have two broken arms.

It Will Get Better 

A lot of people assume that feelings of depression arise when something bad happens, so if they just wait a while until things get better for them, their depression will disappear. But that shows a big misunderstanding of mental health issues. There is not always a direct reason for your depression and it will not go away on its own if you just leave it. The only way that you can tackle your mental health issues is by seeking treatment. 

It can get better, but it can also get worse. I have been personally hospitalized at least twice for suicidal thoughts. When it comes to my own personal mental health care, I'm lucky to have a husband that genuinely cares about my well-being and two sons that know my triggers and how to help me through.

Not everyone has that luxury though, so it doesn't always get better, even if they hope or believe it will. Not everyone's brain is wired the same way, either with the medications they may take. Remember, every medication has a chemical make up that can help some groups of people, while others need additional medications still.

Mental Health Care is Embarrassing

NO IT IS NOT!!!

This one shouldn’t be a problem anymore but, unfortunately, it is. The stigma around mental health has been reduced, but it is still there. So many people know that they need treatment for their mental health issues but they are too afraid to make that step because they worry about what their family and friends will think. The important thing to remember here is that somebody who cares about you will support you in your recovery, and somebody that doesn’t support you and judges you for having a mental health issue is not somebody that you want to be around. 

If you are using these excuses to talk yourself out of treatment, it’s important that you are honest with yourself and you get treatment if you need it. 

If you are struggling with depression, you should see a depression therapy psychiatrist and speak with them about your issues. It doesn’t matter how your condition compares to anybody else, if it is hurting you, then you should get treatment.