Mental Illness Quotes
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
That truism (popularly phrased as “… the things you know that just ain’t so”) is itself the subject of a dubious “knowledge”: it’s most often attributed to Mark Twain, but no researcher has decisively located the original version among his or anyone else’s officially recorded words. While “who really said it” matters little when “it” is both memorable and insightful, it’s a different matter when quotes are:
- Taken out of context
- Based on faulty memory
- Falsely attributed to a prominent expert to give false authority to questionable information
- Or, a legitimate quote froma prominent figure—but a prominent figure who is biased or doesn’t have the facts
So think long and hard before repeating anything just because it sounds quotable. That goes double for anything that might hurt another person or group—including people with mental illness, who have suffered much prejudice and mistreatment from public opinion that “knew” they were dangerous, incompetent, and untreatable. It just ain’t so.
We’re currently beginning Mental Health Awareness Month 2021. A major part of awareness is hearing what the real experts (including those who get their expertise from personal experience) really say.
Quotes About the Nature of Mental Illness
“Gone forever is the notion that the mentally ill person is an exception. It is now accepted that most people have some degree of mental illness at some time, and many of them have a degree of mental illness most of the time. This should not surprise anyone, for do not most of us have some physical illness some of the time and some of us much of the time?”
“There does not have to be an obvious reason for your depression.”
–Dr. Andy Montgomery, Psychiatry UK
“Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being ‘depressed.’ But being sad is not the same as having depression. … Distinguishing between grief and depression is important and can assist people in getting the help, support or treatment they need.”
–American Psychiatric Association
Quotes About Stigma and the Need for Understanding
“Others’ judgments almost always stem from a lack of understanding rather than information based on facts. Learning to accept your condition and recognize what you need to do to treat it, seeking support, and helping educate others can make a big difference.”
–Mayo Clinic
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.”
–Fred “Mr.” Rogers
“One of the most important things you can realize is that you’re not alone. You’re not the first to go through it, you’re not gonna be the last to go through it.”
About Personal Experience with Mental Illness
“My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don’t know why I wouldn’t seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth.”
–Kerry Washington
“If you’re living with [bipolar disorder] and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of. They should issue medals.”
“As is the case with a lot of people, it wasn’t real to me until it was in my own family …
I’m a good talker. But I soon learned that you can’t talk someone out of depression.”
Quotes About Mental Health’s Relation to Physical Health
(In response to being asked whether he was concerned that a “mental health pandemic” might follow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic) “Very much so. That’s the reason why I want to get the virological aspect of this pandemic behind us as quickly as we possibly can, because the long-term ravages of this are so multifaceted. … I hope we don’t see an increase in some preventable situations, which would not have happened if people had the normal access to medical care.”
–Dr. Anthony Fauci
“Good mental health is absolutely fundamental to overall health and well-being.”
–Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
Find Treatment for Dual Diagnosis
Half of people with substance use disorders also have psychiatric disorders such as major depression, PTSD, or schizophrenia. At Beach House, we know the value of tackling both problems together: our dual diagnosis program uses multidisciplinary professionals and customized treatment plans to ensure every individual client has the best start toward long-term recovery. Contact us today to learn more.