Mental health and physical health, anyone else feel good physical health seems to discredit mental problems?

[Camallunt]

I've suffered mental health problems all my life, though only had a better understanding of them the last few years and been getting the help I need the last year. I enjoy working out as it helps with my mental health and is a good hobby to have.

I feel as if even the GP's I've seen don't take me as seriously because physically I am in an alright condition and clearly lift. My mental health team understand that my working out is actually a strong part of my recovery especially with the big step of actually using a gym now but I still have to regularly see GP's and don't often get chance to see the same one due to how busy my doctors practice gets.

Am I alone in this or does anyone else find people assume a better physique cannot be accompanied by mental health problems?

[hswhis]

I think it's part of the stereotype of mental illness to look malnourished, disheveled, with a lost look in your eyes... very Hollywood. So most would assume, a vibrant healthy exterior denotes a healthy interior. Sadly, not always true.

[Anonymous]

I just don't think GPs are good at handling mental health in general.

[Camallunt]

Amen to that! Unfortunately they are crucial in getting seen by the professionals and even when have the proper help still need GP's.

[Sex_Panther]

That is actually normal. We globally have a picture of what mentally ill people look like and they are generally weakened and unsuccessful. It's sort of incorporated to how rich businessmen aren't addicts only homeless people are, etc.

[Camallunt]

It's a little frustrating as I'd be worse without the working out but being strong seems to discredit my genuine problem.

[Sex_Panther]

I agree. One of the greatest disservices ever performed against the mentally ill is the stereotypes we built around them.

[Camallunt]

They are slowly trying to change mental healths image but it's not really taking on much momentum. Hell getting out and exercising is something they always suggest to people when giving general get over it advice.

[Sex_Panther]

This is very true. The hardest thing to change about mental health is that people like to "see" the issue; if you're crippled physically in the legs people can see your wheelchair but you cannot see depression, anxiety, and other common illnesses and definitely cannot inherently see people who are going through extreme traumas. These "invisible men" frighten the populace so we created a stigma to help deal with them.

[Camallunt]

I accept it from the general public as a lack of education and understanding is more acceptable but from doctors it just frustrates me as they are in a better position to know about the truth and are in a very important part of the way to cope.

[Sex_Panther]

Contrary to popular belief being a doctor does not make you not a member of the general public. Just like being a master Engineer doesn't mean you don't believe in Alien technology. I wish our professions gave us abilities and insights but they don't; old lies die hard.

[Camallunt]

I don't expect a GP to have deep insight but surely it is a part of their duty to at least have a basic understanding of mental health, they have the power to prescribe medicine for it and dictate to those with it so much like how a nurse can do basic duties if trained they need to know a little about what they are doing.

[Sex_Panther]

Well that's the problem; it's knowledge versus culture. They are aware but they still act as though the myths they've heard are true due to their cultural upbringing and really the ultimate fear of branding someone with a mental illness unnecessarily because it's a Scarlet Letter. In essence the cultural rejection of the mentally ill sort of stays their hand on actually addressing the issue and willfully diagnosing it unless it's obvious, clear, and presently dangerous and requires immediate intervention; even then it's usually passed on an emergency room psychologist or psychiatrist if available since the assessment itself, though not complex, is still quite damning.

[Sex_Panther]

Basically they don't want to be the bad guy. GPs want to fix your broken elbow not tell you that you have cancer of the everything.

[Camallunt]

Even GP's that are not telling me what's wrong simply a routine check up and renewal of prescriptions and notes have judged me for being of a larger build. It really is a step backwards for those who suffer mental health as it makes you feel worse. Maybe eventually it'll change.

[Sex_Panther]

Eventually it will once the world accepts that sometimes the unseeable can get sick too.