Common Myths About The Mentally Disordered

• They're all killers
• They're all rapists
• They're rapists and killers
• They're paedophiles
• They are murderers
• It's contagious
• They were abused as a child
• They're dangerous
• Schizophrenics are killers
• Depressives are having a bad day
• Anorexics are looking for attention
• Self-harm is a trend
• Those with OCD all wash their hands too much
• Suicide is the coward's way out

The truth is: 'Depression isn't an act. Self harm isn't a trend. Anorexia isn't a phase. Homosexuality isn't a choice and suicide isn't cowardly.'

Size Zero And Anorexia Nervosa

The fact that models are basically all size zero, which is size four in UK sizes, is a disgusting and shocking phenomenon. They are not real women, real women are not size zero.
The growing number of eating disorders in teenagers, especially girls, is an unhealthy and stark truth.
Many girls start to lose weight because they think they are perhaps a little bit overweight, but this escalates and they believe they are fat. This can lead to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, which is serious and life threatening. Anorexia usually is rather silent and secretive to begin with and families probably will not notice their loved ones weight loss. But then as the weight loss becomes more drastic and noticeable and the young person begins to start purchasing laxatives and making themselves vomit to rid themselves of the food they've eaten, the disorder can be noticed. However it is not always noticed. Some girls can become extremely unwell and their families do not even notice, because they are hiding it so well.
This post is written in an attempt to expose some of the habits that people with anorexia engage in, in order to help families catch the disorder before it is too late. The sick truth is, some women want to be size zero and go on a quest to be size zero.

Anorexia: The Facts

• Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder that occurs mainly in young women from the age of 15 to 18, it is defined as the loss of extreme weight through dieting, the person suffering from anorexia will eat very little often actually making themselves sick after eating or use laxatives in striving towards losing weight.
• It is a psychological disorder which once taken a serious hold on the person that person will actually convince themselves they are fat, no matter how much weight they lose, they will still see themselves as being overweight.
• About every 4 in 10 people who have deep seated anorexia and suffer from this illness will actually make a full recovery and others do improve, 3 out of 10 will however continue to suffer from major long term illness.
• If not recognised and help sought 15 percent of anorexia suffers will die from the disease within 20 years of its appearance.

Anorexia: The Habits

• The cup trick: Using a coloured cup or mug that is not see through, the person spits the food out of their mouth into the cup when pretending to drink
• Hiding food: in various places - sleeves, pockets, even down their bra
• Purging: purchasing laxatives, making themselves vomit
• Exercising obsessively: even in their rooms, where it is hidden

Don't Call Me Crazy

So a new programme began this week. 'Don't Call Me Crazy' follows the lives of teenagers in an inpatient psychiatric hospital in the UK, suffering from various mental illnesses. The unit - The McGuinness unit, has now been replaced by a brand new modern unit called Junction 17.
After staying at one myself, for 2 weeks, I found this programme rather interesting, yet also sad. Sad because of the illnesses the young people have and sad because of the way they are treated.
My stay at a psychiatric unit was a rather positive experience.
The people there were not restrained in front of other young people, which they are in the McGuinness unit.
One of the patients who suffered from depression, anorexia and also self harmed, refused to be weighed and eat. At the unit I was at, the young people had to eat, and did. They were weighed. They were supervised a lot of the time to ensure they were not exercising and moving around, especially twitching and fidgeting slightly to burn off calories. They went to the toilet and were not allowed to flush the loo until the staff had checked there was not sick down the toilet, which is a way of purging (vomiting).
On the positive and motivational side, one of the patients who suffered with acute OCD told the camera how "OCD does not define her as a person."
The patients raised awareness of the stigma surrounding mental illness and shared personal insight into their minds. All in all it was a very worthwhile programme. It was widely talked about. I read this article in The Guardian which advertised and promoted the programme which raises awareness surrounding mental health.