Stigma Around Mental Health

Stigma, guilt, and shame are all too common when talking about mental health — all three of which closely follow a diagnosis of a mental disorder or “mental illness”. These common attacks, both internally and externally, plague mental health and push people away from receiving care and treatment they need, especially after receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare professional. Why must we stigmatize those who must navigate mental illness, instead of supporting them? The goal of this article is to open your perspective to mental health and encourage you to change your own conversation about mental health within your peer group.

Traditional View of Mental Health

Traditional public views on mental health often include the “suck it up, buttercup” attitude, which puts not only the pain – but also the shame of feeling pain – on the person. This shame and guilt projection of feeling emotion adds a building block to the hurt someone may be experiencing.

Shame and guilt are two emotions we are not inherently born with; they are socialized emotions that we learn from our parents, guardians, and peers as children. In contrast, many mental illnesses we are born with – or develop from both environmental systemic factors we are surrounded with. Along with shame and guilt, stigma is created by the fear of something unknown to us. Stigma regarding mental health is rooted in the idea that nothing could ever happen to us like that, and that mental health is a choice. However, as seen in the current medical model, mental health is closely tied to numerous factors; including your genetic predisposition, physical health, environment, and life experiences.

Changing the Conversation

So how do we change the way we talk about mental health? Or how we perceive those who have a mental illness?

Rather than projecting your own perspectives involving mental health, start evolving your mindset into an empathetic one. Realize the stress that your friend may be encountering when they discuss their depression or anxiety with you, rather than discounting it. Use inclusive language that states person-first; for example, an individual with schizophrenia rather than “a schizophrenic”. Project love unto those who need care, and empathize with those who may seem the very opposite of you. By creating a community that welcomes those living with mental illness, we can begin to change how the care and treatment of these individuals can be improved.