Why are people afraid of people with Mental Health.?

[mouses1]

All answers are welcomed.

[neogiee]

I am a little wary because of unexpected things they could possibly do or say. If you have a mental health problem then the mind is not working the same to a person who does not have a mental health problem. It is because we can all predict what others will do.. but.. I think we are all a little crazy if you ask me.. it just depends on what degree when we call it a mental health problem*

[spaz_81085]

Because people are afraid of things that they don't know about.

[Charla C]

Television and movies.

[Sonali C]

There's a lot of stigma attached to having mental illnesses. The stereotype is that mentally ill people can be violent, but the vast majority aren't violent.

People also confuse "mental illness" with being psychotic, or they think that people with mental disorders are an annoyance.

The community just needs to be educated. Some people have lost friends due to telling others that they have a mental disorder or go through therapy.

[bummer101467]

People get nervous when they don't understand. Sometimes inorder to undertand a mental illness they need to experience it

[bears~N~angels]

our media will comment on if a person has a "mental disorder" and from what we see on television and read, it makes people scared of those individuals that have been diagnosed. the ones that are afraid either have not been caught by "the men in white coats" or they secretly fear they might have a problem. then there are the people in complete denial,...i think they are more dangerous because they don't realize they have a problem. i worked with mentally ill adults and some people treated them as if they were not just mentally ill, but mentally retarded. people just need to be informed.

[iswd1]

1) It scares them. They do not understand what is the matter with the person, or how that person will react in situations.

2) The Media is great at creating mass paranoia regarding mental health. Notice how there is always something wrong with these people who just have a bad day and lose it?

3) They don't understand the disease. Like when aids first came out, no one wanted to so much as touch another person for fear of contracting the virus... many people aren't very savvy on things like this and again, fear comes into play

4) Because it is inconvenient for them to take the time to get to know a person. They simply see the issue at hand and dismiss the person.

5) Because it can be very frustrating to deal with someone who has mental issues. Sometimes, you simply want to shout at them because you cannot comprehend what they are going through. Some people cannot do things that are simple for you, because of phobias and/or other reasons, and it can affect your life as well as theirs. For most people, and I admit I am guilty of this as well, it is easier just to get out of the situation than to deal with it.

[godshandmaiden]

Sadly enough, these poor people are the most misunderstood beings on the face of our planet!
We, the 'normal' tend to isolate and abandon them solely because of the fear that this can happen to us too.
Since I met Christ as Lord and Saviour of my life, He has completely changed the way in which I viewed these people.
Now i know that they are tormented by evil beings, telling them that they are insane and, in my dealing with them, i have discovered that they actually see these beings which we so often call 'the voices".
What a terrible ordeal these poor people suffer. Being subjected to the wiles of these evil beings and in some cases to the malfunctioning of certain areas of their brains.

I do not however judge people who are afraid, for one never knows what these poor souls are up to. What i would like to change however, is our perception of them. They need us as we are often the fine line between them and total insanity.In speaking to many I found that they have a need for people to hear them. For in that few moments of normality, they will tell you their chilling tales of suffering and fear as they are overtaken and consumed by this strange person within themselves that robs them of being in full control of who they really are.
But, all does not have to end on a sad note, for God made provision for this when He sacrificed Jesus on the cross, for not only did He bring salvation, but also healing. Therefor one always has the joy of being able to present these souls to God in prayer and to ask Him to heal their minds.

So, I am challenging yahoo-ers: let us love these people instead of ridiculing and hurting them.

[Ananth Naag]

Probably it is because you never know how they could react. There is a classic saying in telugu "Picchodi chetilo rayi" ..."A stone in a mad man's hand" ...could be dangerous