William James, known as the father of American psychology, stated, "The greatest discovery is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind." This quote sums up what individuals must do in order to be receptive to getting help from a mental health professional. There are many misconceptions regarding mental health that have led to unwillingness to address concerns by those in need of help. It is time that individuals assess their own attitudes about mental health and become informed so they can change those attitudes and make educated decisions about mental health care. When our thinking is appropriate and positive, everything else will fall in line and our lives will be more gratifying and productive.

Misconceptions

I recently heard someone say, "People form opinions based on little or incorrect information." I find that statement relevant to this chapter. The interviews I conducted for this book, as well as information I've gained through other research, have revealed that people lack fundamental knowledge about mental health, particularly mental disorders, health care, and well-being. There is much to be learned about the important components of mental health and what it entails. Most people have some vague knowledge of the subject, but unfortunately, most of what they know or have seen is negative. Many people find the issue so frightening that they would rather not deal with it. Some would like for mental illness to "just go away." But if it could just go away, there wouldn't be a need for mental health professionals — and I wouldn't have written this book.

I sat down to write this book in a time of economic uncertainty. Jobs were being outsourced, companies were downsizing, and financial institutions were protecting their assets and shareholders, as they are obligated to do. Banks had adopted more stringent lending requirements, limiting to whom and how much they loaned. Employment opportunities were limited, so jobs were difficult to find. That caused high unemployment and forced many people to take jobs paying far less than the positions they had held previously. People had to make financial concessions and choose wisely how and where they spent their money. While the economy has since improved and the unemployment rate has decreased, we need to be honest with ourselves about the impact of the economic downturn and think about the following questions:

Did the economic uncertainty I just described cause people to experience unhealthy stress? Absolutely! Can stress lead to depression? Yes it can. Is depression a mental disorder? Yes it is — if it lasts longer than two weeks (according to the American Psychological Association).

Mental illness affects many people, and you don't have to have an extreme manic or psychotic episode to be affected. Your symptoms can be somewhat subtle and gradually increase in severity. I will be discussing depression later in the book, but first I want to dispel some of the misconceptions about mental illness.

Let's start with the basics: therapists are in the profession because they have a strong desire to help others; doing something to harm an individual is not an option for them. Measures have been taken to ensure that individuals who receive counseling or therapy are not put in any dangerous or compromising situations. Like other medical professionals, therapists are bound by state licensing requirements and the dictates of professional organizations. Operating in an ethical manner is mandatory for them.

Unfortunately, movies tend to portray mental health therapy negatively. One movie that comes to mind, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, depicts an individual who is functional and opinionated and so advocates for himself and others at a mental health facility. The staff members there have little or no interaction with the patients and won't tolerate any outbursts or troubling behaviors. To accomplish the institution's therapeutic goals, they give the patients medication that makes them unresponsive to most communication and interaction. When the protagonist enters the facility, he objects to its procedures, and the fact that he advocates for himself and others is a problem for the staff. He is subjected to a surgical procedure that makes him unresponsive and therefore able to be controlled.

Unfortunately, this is the picture that many people have of mental health facilities and providers — and it couldn't be further from the truth of how patients are actually treated. There are laws in place that protect patients, and it is only in extreme cases that individuals have to be placed in a treatment facility anyway. Inpatient treatment is provided on an as-needed basis and is usually a last resort for patients who are not responding to outpatient treatment or are not otherwise capable of complying.

Find out what information is factual and what isn't. When in doubt, do the research. Is your concern based on a misconception?

The following misconceptions are based on information gathered in focus groups that I held for the purpose of understanding how people perceive mental illness and why they are often reluctant to get help:

My therapist is not of my ethnicity. Therefore, he or she can't help me.

We all face challenges, no matter our ethnicity. Many of these challenges are universal and independent of race, culture, or skin tone. For instance, death will affect every human being at some point. When we think of the death of an elderly loved one, the grief that we experience is similar, regardless of our race or ethnicity. That person was loved and is now gone, and the passing may be difficult for us to cope with. In this case, the ethnicity of the therapist or patient really doesn't matter. The important factor is the death of a loved one.

My therapist hasn't experienced what I have. Therefore, he or she can't help me.

Some participants in my focus groups expressed concern that their therapist couldn't help them due to their different life experiences. This was a particular concern for one individual who was referring to African American life experiences. He felt that if he and his therapist were not of the same ethnicity, the therapist would not understand the challenges he faced. But that superficial difference doesn't have to be a deal breaker.

When you choose a therapist, here are the questions you should ask yourself: Is the therapist qualified? Do you feel that he or she is genuine? Does he or she demonstrate a true desire to help?

Choosing a therapist really is a personal decision and requires you to think about how you would like him or her to interact with you. Some people prefer formal interactions and communication, while others prefer more casual interactions. What is important is that your therapist addresses your concerns and you feel comfortable working with him or her. If that's not...