Mental illness is a topic many people are hesitant to discuss, primarily because it is seen as something to be hidden—something shameful. Even though public dialogue about mental illness has increased in recent years with greater numbers of suicide prevention campaigns and online support groups, there is still a stigma attached to being mentally ill. This is largely due to the societal view that mental illnesses are ego-syntonic conditions. That is, that they are a central, ingrained part of an individual's personality. People who suffer from ego-syntonic conditions are essentially seen as being unable to be cured because "it's just the way they are."
Where does this view come from? After all, physical illnesses are curable, so why do so many people believe curing mental illness is out of reach? The first culprit which must be addressed is the tendency for mental health diagnoses to "stick" to one's permanent record. Once the label of a mental illness is placed on someone, depending on the severity of the illness, it rarely goes away. This label may even have negative consequences for the individual in the future, such as making it more difficult for him/her to be hired for a job. This fear of being labeled as mentally ill and thus being seen as less socially desirable simply serves to feed the negative stigma and makes people less willing to be put in a situation -- such as therapy -- where they may receive a mental health diagnosis. Consequently, people view mental illness as incurable. After all, if one still possesses the label, doesn't that mean they are still mentally ill?
Secondly, it is hard for people to fathom the possibility of curing mental illnesses because we don't know for sure where they come from. While it is usually possible to pinpoint the origins of physical illness—germs, genetics, etc.—it is more difficult to determine the etiology of mental illness. Different mental illnesses often originate from different sources, some from biological abnormalities or genetic predispositions, others from environmental circumstances or societal influences, or more commonly, from a combination of biological and social factors. Most mental illnesses have more than one distinct cause. For example, some people who suffer from depression became ill solely because of an imbalance of neurotransmitters, while others may attribute their depression to a situational factor such as a bad break-up with a significant other or the death of a loved one. These causes are often so difficult to untangle that we are unable to prescribe one specific, guaranteed treatment. Treatment of mental illness is often a long, arduous process unique for every individual and frequently involves trying new options until a satisfying solution is found. Because of this uncertainty about causality and resulting lack of a "perfect" treatment, we often view mental illness as incurable.
But do these realities about mental illnesses really mean they cannot be cured? To analyze this question, we need to first define the term "cured". On the strict side, one could argue someone is not cured from mental illness until he/she fails to exhibit any symptoms of the disorder and no longer struggles with the disorder's implications. For someone suffering from an anxiety disorder, this would mean a complete absence of anxious thoughts, unless the individual is put in a situation where anxiety is the rational response. A looser definition would be to equate curing with no longer fitting the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This would mean an individual could lack a mere one symptom on the diagnostic checklist and be considered "cured" of his/her mental illness.
Both of these definitions of “cure” are imperfect. The first seems too idealistic; ultimately, it's highly unlikely to rehabilitate a mentally ill individual to the point where he/she completely lacks symptoms. Usually, some symptoms always remain, but are exhibited less often and to a lesser degree. If one prescribes to this definition of "cure", the hypothesis that mental illnesses are rarely cured is accurate. Moreover, if one endorses the second definition of "cure", curing mental illness seems easy. Nonetheless, this definition has its own issues: how fair is it to say the only thing separating a mentally ill individual from a healthy person is one symptom?
Because of the inadequate nature of these definitions, it best to focus on a more subjective definition of "cure". I believe if a mentally ill individual feels secure enough in oneself to function properly, perhaps without the aid of a therapist or medication, and feels minimal distress as a result from his/her psychological disorder, it is fair to say this person is cured. This is not the cut-and-dry definition of "cured" we have when referring to physical illness, but it is the best that can be done when the illness in question exists in a person's psyche. Ultimately, if an illness is mental in nature, it is up to the sufferer to determine when his/her mind is healthy.
With the conclusion that mental illnesses can be cured and their curability attributed to the perception of the mentally ill individual, it is important to note how we can change collective awareness of mental illness curability. Fundamentally, changing the stereotype of the incurable nature of mental illness relies on removing the stigma and the widely-held view of mental illnesses as ego-syntonic conditions. While mental illnesses are often central to an individual's personality, it is important to recognize them as illnesses. Just as the body can get sick, the mind can get sick as well. If we look at mental illnesses as diseases rather than as part of one's personality, we can better recognize their curability. Secondly, we must raise public dialogue about mental illness. If this is done, the stigma will lessen because the general public will be more knowledgeable about the causes and implications of particular mental illnesses. With this stigma decreased, people will be better able to understand the treatable nature of mental disorders and be more likely to seek treatment.
In the end, more people suffer from mental illness than we realize. People often conceal their mental problems for fear of being judged or ridiculed—and who wouldn't, given the negative stigma surrounding mental illness? But if we collectively come forward with our stories we can raise awareness and hopefully shed light on the true nature of mental illness. No one can do it alone, but as a society, we can fight the stigma.
