There is a link between perception and beliefs, an in this article we are going to analyze just that.
Humans are very complex creatures. Each of us is a unique individual, and each of us possesses different traits, strengths, and weaknesses that contribute to the makeup of our personalities. Our individual differences make us who we are. We all possess a different perception and beliefs towards life. Our individual perceptions and beliefs guide us in our day to day lives. The heritage of humankind consists of a very complex mix of both physical and spiritual perceptions and beliefs.
The belief system
It is important for anyone to investigate the roots of his or her belief systems and determine the areas of weakness. Once these are identified, corrective measures can be taken to strengthen the weak areas. Unfortunately, this is where most of us fail. We fail to identify the areas of weakness and instead of addressing the areas of strength, we focus on the areas of weakness with so much emphasis that before we know it we become the prisoners of our own self.
The correlation between your perception and beliefs
You see, my point is that there is a direct correlation between your perception and beliefs regarding mental health and the level of your mental illness. Your beliefs about mental health will either fuel your illness or prevent it from surfacing. In other words, if you don’t believe that you are capable of doing something then you won’t be able to do it and if you do believe that you are capable of doing it but you feel that you are not good enough, then you are going to experience a feeling of inadequacy, which will fuel the development of your mental illness.
Analyzing data from Dr. John Grindler research
The research performed by Dr. John Grindler showed that people with different cultures had various experiences with Dr. Erich Fromm. In addition, the findings showed that there was no consistent pattern of values with respect to mental health problems. People with different cultures differed in terms of their beliefs regarding the self. In addition, the differences in values guided people’s reactions to Dr. Fromm as they experienced him.
The results of the studies revealed that people who held inconsistent beliefs were prone to experiencing poor psychological health issues. The consistent findings showed that inconsistent beliefs are directly related to the causes of poor mental health issues. The research also revealed that people with consistent, strong beliefs about the self, their values, and the world, were more capable of dealing with changes and faced fewer mental health problems.
The social stigma unbalance
And again, the study found that people with a higher level of social stigma experienced poor mental health issues. This finding was supported by the previous studies. People with higher levels of social stigma are less capable of changing their beliefs because they perceive that their perceptions about the world and themselves are disproportionate to their actual reality. It is believed that the stigma creates a barrier that hinders the person from changing his perceptions or beliefs about himself and the world. This perceived cause of the poor mental illness then supports the link between stigma and the self-esteem.
The “lack of heritage”
The same research revealed the existence of a “lack of heritage” among the mentally ill. Those with a “lack of heritage” were more likely to experience stigma in the community and this caused poorer self-esteem, poorer health care, and worse symptoms of mental illness. The researchers also found that the stigma was rooted in a person’s gene pool. Those with a “lack of heritage” were likely to have parents who suffered from mental illness. It was suggested that this might account for the fact that there are far more “lacks of heritage” in health care compared to medical advances over the years.
Final thoughts
The researchers did not address whether the findings they drew are applicable to other settings. They also did not address the moderating role of genetics, environmental factors, or social learning. These are issues that will be addressed in a future article. There is a possibility that the results of the meta-synthesis could be invalidated by other studies using qualitative studies. However, the meta-synthesis showed strong evidence for the link between perceptions of self-worth and mental illness.
