Mental Health diseases are often seen as character flaws or personality defects. As with those who are HIV positive, or have AIDS, people with mental illnesses are often stigmatized by society. They do not receive the support they need to identify their illness, or get help. The perception of many is that mental illness is something that can be dealt with by self-control, or by changing ones behaviour.
There is an understanding that the body can be diseased, but not an understanding that the brain and mind can have diseases which can be cured or managed with medication and therapy. Many people who suffer from mental illness feel alone and hopeless, as their diseases go undiagnosed and untreated. The research into mental illness and its treatment therefore includes research into community, society, and how to manage the misconceptions there are about mental illness within community. Encouraging people to seek help is a core component of the treatment of mental illness. Understanding that mental health is attainable with treatment is part of destigmatising diseases of the brain and mind.