The Romanticization Of Mental Illness In Today's Society

The romanticization of mental illness has become a very pressing issue in today’s society. Although it is present on television, and in music, the most common place one will find the romanticization of mental illness is online through various forms of social media. Whether it be from scrolling down Tumblr’s dashboard, or discovering it on someone’s Instagram profile, the romanticization of mental illness on the internet is quite common and rather upsetting. The way society depicts mental illness is another problem in itself. Teenagers, kids, and even adults have a completely distorted view on what mental illness is due to what society is promoting and teaching. It is essential to understand the seriousness of mental illness and what it is capable

The most popular misconception of mental illness would be the fact that a relationship will make everything better- that someone will be able love the illness away. This belief is a result of all the fictional characters with mental disorders that teenagers are exposed to. These characters with various different mental disorders all find peace with their conditions through the love of a man. Not only is that completely innacurate, it also teaches teens that having a very serious and dangerous mental disorder will automatically make it someone’s life mission to devote all their time into saving them from it. At the end of the day, one’s illness cannot be saved by anyone other than themselves. They must make that extra effort of going outside to walk the dog, to keep their supper down, or to let their scars heal. They must let themselves get better in order for them to actually move forward. Another thing present in these fictional characters is the fact that their mental illness is treated as some type of quirky trait. One’s depression, social anxiety, or eating disorder is not something that comes from personality. It is a chemical imbalance that creates heavy boulders that drag them backwards, rather than

People with mental illness are misunderstood and often looked at as unmotivated, lazy, and even selfish. As people continue to make assumptions, scientists are learning more about how mental illness does in fact affect the brain’s structure, chemistry, and function. Many scientists believe that the cause of mental illness is due to the lack of communication of the neurons in the brain. A brief explanation of what mental illness does to the brain would be as follows: serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is basically in charge of one’s mood. Serotonin levels that are imbalanced are often the cause of depression. The lack of dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter in charge of the release of pleasure and motivation, is one of the main influences of schizophrenia. In other words, mental illness is based off the imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Personality has no influence whatsoever. A famous piece of graffiti in the middle of an unknown city depicts the truth about mental illness, specifically depression: “Depression is a flaw in chemistry, not character.” It is incredible how such a small sentence can hold the weight of a