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Myths About Mental Illness and Violence

Mental illness is a topic that many people don’t really understand. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness can lead to fear and distrust, toward people with mental health diagnoses. An example of this is the myth that people who are mentally ill are more violent than the general population. At Palms Behavioral Health, in Harlingen, Texas, we treat mental health disorders and we want to set the record straight about violence and mental illness.

Sometimes people with mental health disorders do become violent, especially when they are experiencing psychosis. Psychosis is not a specific mental health disorder, but rather a group of symptoms that can occur during a mental health episode. Psychosis is most common in the early stages of a mental health disorder before a person has a diagnosis or treatment. Some psychosis symptoms a person may experience include:

  • Paranoia and distrustfulness
  • Isolation 
  • Strange, unusual, or particularly intense ideas, thoughts or feelings
  • A complete lack of feelings
  • Confusion, resulting in poor concentration

When you consider those symptoms and how any person might behave in such a state, it makes sense that a person experiencing them might become aggressive, due to fear and confusion. This does not mean, however, that most people with mental health conditions are aggressive or that they are planning an act of violence. Psychosis is also not something that occurs continuously or that always leads to violence.

Statistics About Mental Illness and Violence

Most people who are mentally ill are not violent and even people who become violent during psychosis aren’t necessarily violent all of the time.

If people with diagnosed mental health disorders aren’t typically the ones perpetuating violence, then you might wonder what the risk factors are for a person becoming violent. Risk factors may include:

  • Prior history of violent and/or reckless behavior
  • Active substance use
  • Recent, unfortunate life events such as unemployment, death of a loved one, conflict with a colleague, friend, family member, or intimate partner, physical injuries, financial struggles, or sexual frustration.
  • Difficult feelings, such as rage, depression, loneliness, insignificance or being trapped
  • History of childhood trauma

Preventing Violence

If the list above sounds like someone you know, it is important to help them stay safe and keep others safe from them, until the crisis passes. 

  • If they make a threat of violence or about seeking revenge on someone, take it seriously. Leakage is a term that the FBI uses to describe threats of violence that frequently occur before a mass violence event. Even if the person is joking around, regardless of whether the threats were toward themselves or others, and no matter how the threat is made (letters, verbal statements, social media posts, songs, drawings, etc.), it could be an indication that they are planning a violent act.
  • If someone seems to have an unhealthy fixation on a topic, consider this a red flag. Religion, politics, and other subjects can become obsessions and warning signs for someone who is going to become unsafe.
  • Help the person utilize the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
  • Get the person to the hospital or call 911, if they cannot be kept safe at home.
  • Try to limit the person’s access to firearms 
  • Helping the person access long-term treatment.

At Palms Behavioral Health, we provide inpatient and outpatient care for adolescents, adults, and seniors with mental health conditions. Our interdisciplinary team uses trauma-informed practices to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for our patients. Each client has a personalized care plan that is developed to meet their unique needs.

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About programs offered at Palms Behavioral Health

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