To be disheartened by this?

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

Page 14 of today's Times has a small article about a woman who's obviously had an extremely tough time with various health issues that turn out to have been Lyme disease. Very unfortunate, and good that some awareness of it is being raised.

However, the article contains the following line - "[she] was initially accused of having mental health problems".

I find this really disheartening - writing about mental health problems as something to be accused of, i.e. something which is by implication (a) shameful and (b) under the sufferer's control. I very much doubt they would dream of writing "accused of having physical health problems". "Misdiagnosed" is surely the correct term?

I should say that my experience of mental health problems is not extreme and there will be many other MNers much better able to comment on these issues - I hope they don't mind me posting about it but this really hit a nerve.

Maybe she was "accused" though. Maybe that's how she put it herself...if someone approaches you about your mental health in an accusatory way...then it is an accusation.

I hadn't thought about it like this, but you're right!

Unless we change the terminology we use with Mental Health, we're not going to see a change in attitudes.

Depends how it was handled. If she was initially dismissed by doctors as being paranoid or delusional, or that she was faking it to get attention I could well see that the word accused would be appropriate.

I don't ever forsee a big change in attitudes sadly. I think there will always be fear around MH just as there will always be fear around special needs.

It's sad, it's wrong but human nature in many people is very basic and they react with fear around what they don't want to be part of. People SAY they accept things but do they really? My friend's son is bipolar and he lost almost all his friends when he got diagnosed. Those who stuck around don't fully include him...they SAY he's still the same person but he's not to them really is he? They're not asking him on holiday this year either.

Paranoia and delusions can be symptoms of mental illness though?

YANBU. I hate the way that mental illness is still thought of something to be ashamed of. Would it really be any worse if she was mentally ill?

Yabu. Being misdiagnosed is very different to being fobbed off by doctors who attribute physical symptoms to mental health conditions without investigating properly.

I think they would definitely have said that. Lots of years ago, I had intermittent but agonising sinus pain and although it was investigated, nothing showed on their tests and I was told that as all their test were negative then I must be imagining it or making it up. Both of those suggest to me being told I had mental problems as I was "clearly" fabricating this pain to receive attention.
Years later, I did find out what it is, it's sinus migraine.

Thanks for responses, and sorry for the long absence - busy day at work!

Various PP have pointed out (I will try to paraphrase so as to encapsulate them all) that it may have been the case that the lady was in fact accused by health professionals, either in the sense that she was making it up, or in the sense that they (the HPs) described her supposed condition in an accusatory way.

It did occur to me before posting that either of these might be the case but I guess if that's the case I would hope that a reputable paper would take the time and care to make that clear. I realise that this is a bit of a rose - tinted view, that space for articles is limited etc etc but I still think it is an unhelpful use of language at best, and at worst discriminatory.

Reputable papers make massive factual errors ALL the time and they rarely bother to make sure things that might be sensitive are in context.

ClapHands I know you're right, and I'm generally of the resigned cynicism brigade where the media (reputable or otherwise) are concerned but I think it's worth at least pointing it out where the issue is as important as this one.

I should put words into action and email the wretched paper shouldn't I ...