Why is there such a stigma with mental illness? Is it because people can’t see it, so they don’t believe it? Would you tell someone with a physical illness to just stay positive and it will go away? Would you tell someone with a physical illness that their medication is “happy pills”? No, so why does it happen with mental illness?
In the United States, one in five adults experiences mental illness and one in five youths aged 13-18 experience a severe mental disorder at some point in their life. Mental health is so prominent in our society and yet there is still a huge stigma around it. There are many different types of stigmas around mental health including the use of mental illnesses as adjectives (OCD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.), pushing guilt upon people with these disorders and bad mental health coverage in health insurance. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15-24 in the United States, perhaps if mental health wasn't seen so badly in our society more people would be able to speak up and it could be prevented.
The stigma around depression often prevents people suffering from the illness from seeking help or treatment. About 2 out of 3 sufferers do not seek treatment. Depression is a serious medical condition that causes hopelessness and feelings of being unimportant, which affects sufferers day to day life. Depression may be a mental illness but, the side effects are often physical. Side effects include difficulty concentrating, fatigue, feelings of guilt, insomnia, irritability, change in appetite,and persistent pains and headaches. Physical symptoms are portrayed as laziness to people who do not understand the illness. Many people are shamed over depression because it is not something that can be seen but felt so,others do not understand. It is shamed by people telling sufferers to think positively or telling them other people have it worse. People who take medication for their depression are often times shamed for it and are told they take "happy pills''. Depression is an awful thing to suffer with and support is helpful to sufferers rather than stigmatizing them.
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent, excessive and unrealistic worry about everyday things. Other anxiety disorders include panic disorder,social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 18% of the population. Symptoms of anxiety include feeling on edge, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, difficulty controlling the worry, sleep problems and anxiety/panic attacks. Anxiety disorders are often perceived as someone being over dramatic, this puts the person down to feel bad about their disorder, even more, when they need support to get through it. Anxiety affects life greatly and can be debilitating and prevent sufferers from doing daily activities due to the constant worry. Comparing anxiety to being over dramatic is extremely disrespectful to people dealing with anxiety disorders.
Respecting sufferers of all mental disorders are extremely important. Stop stigmatizing them because you can not physically see their illness. Support people who tell you they have a mental illness instead of putting them down with false information about their disorder.
Sources: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stigma
http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depression
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
https://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-s...
