Don’t Let Your Brain Trick You Into Not Seeking Help

Sometimes our brains aren’t completely honest with us. And that is the scariest part of mental illness.

Trigger Warning: This article discusses depression.

It’s possible that mental health has never been more discussed than it is today. However, even though the issue is much more prominent in the discourse than it once was, there are still many people struggling with mental illness and remaining undiagnosed, untreated or unaccepted.

One of the potential causes for this is the human brain’s power of deception and persuasion. In my personal experience, I’ve found my brain has this strange yet incredibly powerful ability to trick me into thinking everything is okay, regardless of logic telling me that something is very, very wrong.

To explain this to myself, when I visualise mental illness, I tend to think of a demon from a horror movie. These two 'entities' both invade and possess their hosts, often without the host’s knowledge. Both forces can then grow more powerful to the point of fully controlling their victims. (Before I continue, I want to be clear that this is my interpretation. It’s not rooted in science. It’s simply a metaphor that helps me and hopefully you to understand the power and nature of mental illness.)

Before I understood that I even had mental health issues that needed to be dealt with, I didn’t often believe people who suggested I might not be okay. In the moment, I might have given some credit to my mother explaining that I might need help. The next day, I might’ve been so angry that she would suggest such an idea because obviously this was just who I was and how I was meant to be. This deception started a long time ago and is still constantly rearing its ugly head.

Right now, at the time of writing this article, I feel pretty good. I take anti-depressant medication and it works wonders. I took my tablet this morning as per routine and I feel in control. It’s entirely possible, however, that tomorrow I’ll wake up and feel an intense urge to not take the medication. This is the demon at work. As much as I would normally believe that feeling mentally healthy is best, I can be persuaded to think the opposite; that I shouldn’t be feeling that way because it’s wrong and makes me weak. This is an illogical thought. But the demon is illogical.

This change in my beliefs seems to go in cycles. For weeks, I will routinely stick to my medication and feel good. Then, out of the blue, I’m caught off guard. My mind tries to pull me back from being helped. It’s not that I think "I could probably go without that tablet today". Rather, it feels as if "I cannot take this medication because it is bad for me to do so". This concept can be very difficult to understand. I even find it hard to understand sometimes because I know it’s happening, yet I still succumb.

This article is not endorsing medication as the primary treatment for mental illness but rather as a treatment alternative to illustrate the overall point. My intention writing this is to highlight the fact that denying the disease is perhaps the most significant symptom of the illness. It means people don’t want help because they may feel that they are betraying themselves in doing so. This is the monster trying to beat you using the deadliest weapon in its arsenal. I’m not suggesting that every negative emotion you’ve ever experienced in your life is due to mental illness. But please, don’t let your mind trick you into thinking you’re okay when you know deep down that you’re not.

If you have the slightest ounce of doubt, talk to someone you trust, see a health professional (a GP can be a great place to start) or visit Reach Out, Headspace or Beyond Blue online.

If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

Header Image: iStock.com/ayakono