Mental Health Stigma -- what can we do about it?

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Title: Mental Health Stigma -- what can we do about it?

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Author: Devine

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Mental Health Stigma -- what can we do about it?

Copyright 2005 Devine

What is Stigma?

Stigma is the use of stereotypes and labels when describing

someone, and it is often attached to people who suffer from

mental health issues. We don’t fully understand how the

brain works yet, but one thing we DO know is that it is an

organ. Yet our society doesn’t readily accept brain

disorders the way we accept other organ disorders. Why is

this so?

Stigma is a harsh reality for people who have mental health

problems, because it prevents them from enjoying a normal

and productive life. So many people today feel

uncomfortable about mental health issues, despite the fact

that there is growing evidence that more and more people

are developing these problems. In fact, many people are so

uncomfortable with the stigma that they would rather suffer

in silence than get help they need.

Here are a few of the most common misconceptions about

mental health problems:

* Mentally ill people have a weak character

* Mentally ill people are potentially dangerous.

* People with mental illness should just “snap out of it”

* Mentally ill people are violent

The media has only further fuelled our distorted beliefs

about mental health issues. Frequently, characters on

television and in the movies that have a mental illness are

depicted as dangerous, unpredictable and violent.

What Are the Effects of Stigma?

If you became ill you would go to a doctor. Once you got

better, you would expect to get on with life as usual. But

it’s not that easy for people who suffer from mental

illness. Often, they can suffer from persistent rejections

and exclusions by ill-informed members of the community.

Some people have been denied loans, health insurance and

jobs because of their history of mental health issues.

Consequently, these people lose their self confidence and

may develop further anxiety or depression, on top of the

issues they are already facing.

I witnessed this first hand many years ago, when my brother

was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The majority of his

friends deserted him; they weren’t able to comprehend or

cope with his altered personality and erratic behaviour.

Within months he went from being a popular, vivacious and

outgoing young man to a shattered, isolated loner. Over the

following months, I watched my brother sink deeper into

debilitating depression, which ultimately became so

unbearable that he took his own life.

What Can We Do?

All of us have times when we feel depressed, anxious or

angry. We might even have a series of bad days, where we

think that nothing will ever go right for us and the world

is against us. For a mentally ill person, these feelings do

not go away.

So the answer lies in education and understanding. If you

know someone who seems very emotional, down or upset, then

lead by example; show compassion and understanding, and

encourage them to seek help. And if you’re suffering

silently yourself, take comfort in the fact that you’re not

alone and that there IS hope.

About the Author:

Devine is a qualified professional hypnotherapist and

success coach with a caring and committed approach to

healing, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. You can find

more of her information on mental health, self image, love,

relationships, phobias and much more on her website

http://www.manifest-your-success.com