The trivialization of mental health

How casual language, behavior, and the media are downplaying and stigmatizing mental illness

MCKENNA RYAN, STAFF WRITER

DESIGN: MCKENNA RYAN, STAFF WRITER

We like to be organized? We’re “OCD.” We want to avoid plans? We have “social anxiety.” We change our mind often? We’re “bipolar.”

It’s common for people to make casual statements like, “I’m so OCD” or “I have social anxiety disorder,” when they just enjoy keeping things tidy or prefer staying home rather than going out. The portrayal and oversimplification of mental illness in the media perpetuates stereotypes, further promoting the non-literal use of mental health-related phrases. This is demeaning to those with mental illnesses, dismissing them as a personal flaw or quirk that needs fixing rather than a condition that requires treatment. The media tends to trivialize mental illness, perpetuating the misconception that certain conditions are less severe than they truly are. For example, individuals who suffer from eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, may feel that their illness is downplayed, in part due to how it is portrayed in the media. The media often sensationalizes anorexia nervosa by focusing on extreme cases and presenting it as a choice or lifestyle rather than a serious mental health condition. This perpetuates the myth that people with anorexia nervosa are simply choosing to starve themselves, rather than understanding the complex psychological and biological factors that contribute to the disorder. The media also portrays anorexia nervosa as a problem that only affects young, white, thin women. This leads to a lack of awareness and understanding of the disorder among other groups, such as men, people of color, and individuals who may not fit the stereotypical image of someone with anorexia nervosa. This can delay diagnosis and treatment for these individuals, leading to more severe health complications and a longer recovery process. The media’s portrayal often minimizes the severity of the disorder and fails to convey its potentially devastating effects. However, in reality, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders, underscoring the critical need to not trivialize mental illness. The media also oversimplifies mental health disorders, overlooking or dismissing the severe realities of the illnesses. For instance, the popular television series “Monk” portrays the detective as “benefiting” from his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) due to his heightened attention to detail that helps him solve crimes. Oversimplifying this mental disorder, OCD is much more complex. OCD is a disorder in which one has uncontrollable thoughts or behaviors that are intrusive and anxiety provoking. However, due to misleading depictions of this disorder in media, OCD is falsely correlated to traits like cleanliness and organization. This has created an almost positive connotation to the disorder, associating it with the drive to be hygienic, rather than highlighting the fear of illness and infection that compels people with OCD to act in such a manner. To try and stop these intrusive thoughts, those with OCD must maintain their behavioral routines as their thoughts and behaviors drive them to despair, causing great anxiety and suffering. These common symptoms, however, do not appear enough in the media and are not associated with the #OCD organization posts. Instead, it is oversimplified in the media, contributing to the trivialization of mental illnesses and the misconceptions that arise as a result of this.

It is evident why individuals experiencing debilitating mental health disorders feel that society and the media continually downplay the seriousness of their conditions. Their symptoms of mental illness are not always given the sincerity and consideration that they deserve, unlike physical ailments, which are typically taken more seriously. People with sore muscles after exercising do not claim to have arthritis, chronic pain, or lupus. It is time to view mental health in the same light as physical health and acknowledge the importance of addressing mental health concerns with the same level of gravity and concern as physical ailments. It is imperative for society to cease trivializing the suffering of those who experience mental health disorders and instead cultivate a greater understanding of mental health issues. Mental illness should not be a stigma nor a trivial matter.