There are some things we learn about mental health without anyone ever formally teaching us.

We hear them at home. We hear them from friends. We hear them at work, in places of worship, on social media and sometimes even from people we love.

“Just be strong.”

“Everybody gets stressed.”

“You don’t need therapy.”

“Talking about it will only make you think about it more.”

“They will get over it.”

And because we hear these things so often, we can begin to believe them.

The problem is that misconceptions about mental health don’t simply stay as harmless opinions. They can influence how we treat people who are struggling—and how we treat ourselves when we are not okay.

I have come to believe that one of the biggest barriers to better mental health awareness is not always a lack of information. Sometimes, it is the information we already have that is wrong.

So let’s talk about seven mental health myths we need to stop believing.

1. Mental Health Problems Are Rare

If you have never experienced a significant mental health difficulty yourself, it can be easy to imagine that mental health problems are something that happen to a small group of people.

Perhaps you picture someone who has reached a crisis point or someone whose struggles are obvious to everyone around them.

But mental health difficulties are much more common than many people realise.

People experience anxiety, depression, prolonged stress, trauma-related difficulties and other mental health challenges in different ways and at different points in their lives.

The World Health Organization recognises mental health as an important part of overall health and wellbeing, with mental health conditions affecting people across different ages, backgrounds and circumstances.The World Health Organization explains that mental health is an integral part of overall health and wellbeing⁠, and that mental health conditions affect people across different ages, backgrounds and circumstances.

The current WHO page also reports that nearly 1 in 7 people worldwide live with a mental disorder, which gives you a much more current basis than the old “1 in 4” claim.

And here’s something else worth remembering: you cannot always tell what someone is carrying by looking at them.

The person laughing with everyone at work may be struggling privately.

The mother who seems to manage everything may be emotionally exhausted.

The friend who always says, “I’m fine,” may not actually be fine.

This is why mental health awareness matters.

When we believe mental health problems are rare, people may feel that their own struggles make them unusual or somehow broken. They may keep quiet because they don’t think anyone else could possibly understand.

Mental health is part of being human. Struggling does not make someone an outsider.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can feel surrounded by people and still feel emotionally disconnected, I explored that feeling in my article, Craving Connection: Mental Health in the Age of Isolation.

2. Mental Health Problems Are a Sign of Weakness

This is one of the most damaging myths.

Some people still believe that emotionally strong people should be able to handle everything without struggling.

They tell themselves:

“I should be stronger than this.”

“Other people have bigger problems.”

“I just need to get myself together.”

But experiencing a mental health difficulty is not a character flaw.

Life can affect us in ways we don’t always anticipate. Genetics, biology, relationships, difficult experiences, trauma, financial pressure, work, major life changes, and many other factors can influence our mental well-being.

Sometimes a person who has always been incredibly strong reaches a point where they simply cannot carry everything anymore.

That doesn’t erase their strength.

In fact, sometimes strength looks very different from what we have been taught.

Strength can be admitting that you are struggling.

Strength can be saying, “I need help.”

Strength can be setting a boundary.

Strength can be resting instead of pretending you have unlimited energy.

We should stop using the word “weak” to describe people who are struggling with their mental health.

You wouldn’t tell someone with a physical health problem to simply “try harder.”

Mental wellbeing deserves that same compassion.

Sometimes emotional exhaustion is mistaken for weakness when, in reality, a person may simply have been carrying too much for too long. I wrote more about this in Emotional Exhaustion Without Burning Out.

3. Therapy Is Only for People with Severe Mental Illness

Some people hear the word therapy and immediately imagine someone sitting in a room because their life has completely fallen apart.

That isn’t necessarily what therapy looks like.

People seek professional support for many different reasons.

Someone may be struggling with anxiety.

Someone may be going through a difficult relationship.

Someone may be grieving.

Someone may be dealing with the emotional impact of moving to another country.

Someone may be overwhelmed by work, parenting, caring responsibilities or a major life transition.

And sometimes, a person simply wants a safe and appropriate space to understand what they are feeling.

Seeking therapy does not mean you are “crazy.”

It doesn’t mean you have failed at life.

And it certainly doesn’t mean you are weak.

The NHS explains that talking therapies can help people with a range of mental health difficulties and challenging life circumstances, not only severe mental illness.

The NHS explains that talking therapies can help with many different mental health difficulties⁠, and you do not necessarily need to have a diagnosed mental health condition to access NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression.

This is particularly useful because the current NHS guidance explicitly says that talking therapies can address difficulties including anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD and difficult feelings, and that people don’t always need a diagnosis to refer themselves

At the same time, therapy isn’t a magic solution for every problem, and not everyone who experiences a difficult period will need it.

The important thing is having access to appropriate support when you need it—and feeling free to seek that support without shame.

Sometimes, asking for help early can be far better than waiting until you feel completely overwhelmed.

4. Medication Is the Only Answer to Mental Health Problems

This myth sits at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Some people believe that once mental health enters the conversation, medication must automatically be the answer.

But mental health support is not one-size-fits-all.

Depending on the person’s circumstances and the difficulty they are experiencing, support may involve talking therapies, medication, practical support, lifestyle changes, social support, self-care strategies or a combination of different approaches.

For some people, medication can be an important and helpful part of treatment.

For others, different forms of support may be more appropriate.

The point is not to decide that one approach is always right or always wrong.

It is to have informed conversations with appropriate healthcare professionals and consider what support is suitable for the individual.

We are all different.

What helps one person may not be what another person needs.

And there should be no shame in receiving appropriate treatment—whether that involves medication, therapy, both, or another form of support.

5. Talking About Mental Health Makes Things Worse

“Don’t talk about it. You’ll only make yourself feel worse.”

I’ve heard variations of this idea many times.

The belief seems to be that if we don’t talk about difficult feelings, they will eventually disappear.

Sometimes, silence can feel easier.

You don’t have to explain yourself.

You don’t have to admit that something is wrong.

You don’t have to risk being judged.

But keeping everything inside doesn’t automatically make the problem disappear.

Talking to someone you trust can sometimes be the first step towards feeling less alone. It can help someone recognise that what they are experiencing deserves attention and support.

And talking doesn’t necessarily mean telling everyone your private business.

You get to choose who you trust.

It could be a friend.

A family member.

A healthcare professional.

A counsellor.

Or another appropriate source of support.

The NHS also encourages people experiencing mental health difficulties to talk about how they are feeling and seek appropriate help when needed.

There is also an important difference between talking about a problem and constantly dwelling on it.

Healthy conversations can help us process emotions, gain perspective and seek appropriate support.

So if someone tells you they are struggling, don’t immediately shut the conversation down because you are afraid that talking about it will make things worse.

Sometimes, being willing to listen is one of the kindest things you can do.

6. People with Mental Health Problems Are Violent or Dangerous

This misconception has been reinforced by years of sensationalised portrayals of mental illness in films, television and news coverage.

A person with a mental health condition may be portrayed as frightening, unpredictable or dangerous.

But mental health difficulties do not automatically make someone violent.

People living with mental health conditions are individuals first. They have families, jobs, dreams, responsibilities, personalities and different life experiences—just like everyone else.

Reducing a person to a diagnosis can be deeply harmful.

It can lead to discrimination, isolation and fear.

It can also discourage people from seeking help because they don’t want to be labelled or treated differently.

We should be careful about judging an entire group of people based on the actions of individuals.

A diagnosis does not tell you everything about a person’s character.

It doesn’t tell you whether they are kind.

It doesn’t tell you whether they are trustworthy.

And it certainly doesn’t tell you whether they are dangerous.

People deserve to be seen as human beings rather than as labels.

7. Mental Health Problems Are “Just a Phase” and Will Eventually Go Away

Sometimes they do.

Life can bring difficult periods that improve as circumstances change. Someone may experience temporary distress after a breakup, bereavement, job loss, relocation or another major life event.

But we shouldn’t assume that every mental health difficulty will simply disappear with time.

Some people experience symptoms that persist or return and may need professional support.

And telling someone to “just give it time” can sometimes leave them feeling unheard.

Imagine struggling every morning and being told, “You’ll get over it.”

Imagine feeling emotionally exhausted for months and hearing, “Everybody feels like that.”

Imagine finally gathering the courage to tell someone you’re not okay, only to be told that it is merely a phase.

Sometimes what a person needs is not another person telling them how long their pain should last.

They need someone to take them seriously.

This doesn’t mean we should assume that every difficult emotion is a mental illness.

It means we should pay attention when distress is persistent, overwhelming, interfering with everyday life or becoming difficult to manage.

There is no prize for suffering silently until you reach breaking point.

We Need to Change the Way We Talk About Mental Health

Mental health awareness isn’t simply about learning the names of different conditions.

It is also about changing the way we think.

It means questioning the things we have been taught.

It means recognising that someone can look perfectly fine and still be struggling.

It means understanding that asking for help isn’t an admission of defeat.

It means listening instead of dismissing.

And perhaps most importantly, it means extending to ourselves the same compassion we readily offer other people.

We don’t need to diagnose everyone around us.

We don’t need to become mental health professionals.

But we can become more thoughtful about the words we use.

We can stop telling people to “snap out of it.”

We can stop treating emotional struggles as a competition.

We can stop assuming that strength means carrying everything alone.

And we can create spaces where people feel safe enough to say, “I’m struggling.”

Because behind many mental health conversations is a very ordinary human need:

the need to be heard without being judged.

If you are struggling with your mental health, you don’t have to wait until everything falls apart before looking for appropriate support. The NHS provides information about mental health services and where to get help, including guidance on accessing talking therapies and getting urgent help when needed.

The NHS page confirms that people can find mental health services there and that urgent help is available through NHS 111 or emergency services when appropriate.

And if someone you care about is struggling, you don’t always need the perfect words.

Sometimes you can simply say:

“I’m here. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay with me.”

That may not solve everything.

But it can remind someone that they don’t have to carry everything alone.

Mental health is not something we should whisper about.

It is part of being human—and it deserves the same understanding, compassion and attention that we give to our physical wellbeing.