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Stigma
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Overview |
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Have you or anyone you know ever had a case of the blues you just couldn't shake? Or experienced panic attacks that interfered with your life? Perhaps the experience affected your work or your social relationships. You may be surprised to know that your case of the blues or panic attacks are classified as mental disorders.
Despite the fact that many mental illnesses are real illnesses that are diagnosable and treatable, and that mental illnesses are not uncommon, people still suffer from stigma. Stigma is really about disrespect and dehumanization. It is giving someone with a mental illness a label and treating them differently based on that label. The stigmas that surround mental illness are based on misinformation, fears and myths that are widely held and reinforced.
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Misinformation |
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A recent survey reported by the National Mental Health Association on the causes of mental illness revealed that large percentages of people still hold incorrect beliefs. Of those surveyed:
- 71% believed mental illness is caused by emotional weakness.
- 65% believed mental illness is caused by bad parenting.
- 35% believed mental illness is caused by sinful or immoral behavior.
- 43% believed mental illness is brought on in some way by the individual.
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Common Myths About Mental Health |
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MYTH: Young people and children don't suffer from mental health problems. REALITY:
More than 6 million young people in America may suffer from a mental disorder that severely disrupts their ability to function at home, in school, or in their community.
MYTH: People who need psychiatric care should be locked away in institutions. REALITY: Most people with mental illness can lead productive lives in the community thanks to a variety of supports, programs, and/or medications.
MYTH: Once someone has had a mental illness they can never be normal. REALITY: Many people with mental illnesses recover and resume normal activities.
MYTH: Persons with mental illness are dangerous. REALITY: The vast majority of people with a mental illness are not violent. When violence does occur, the trigger or causes are usually the same reasons as in the general public, such as feeling threatened or having used alcohol and/or drugs excessively.
MYTH: People with a mental illness aren't suited for really important or responsible positions. REALITY: Like everyone else, most people with a mental illness have the potential to work at any level depending on their own abilities, experience and motivation.
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Effects Of Stigma |
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As a result of misinformation and commonly believed myths about mental illness, people with mental illness are often discriminated against in a variety of ways. People with mental illness may:
- Receive inadequate insurance coverage or be denied insurance.
- Be denied employment or a promotion.
- Be discouraged from getting help because they fear being discriminated against.
- Not receive needed treatment because they are afraid to acknowledge their mental health problems.
- Be feared or mistrusted by others and may even be victim of violence because of their mental illness.
- Suffer from the suspicion, rejection, or isolation from their family and friends.
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Strategies To Overcome Stigma |
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- Recognize that most mental illnesses are physical disorders of the brain.
- Be respectful of people with mental illness.
- Don't use disrespectful terms in referring to people with a mental illness, such as retarded, crazy, or lunatic.
- Refer to a person not just their illness, such as a person who has schizophrenia instead of a schizophrenic.
- Emphasize a person's abilities and strengths rather than their disability or limitations.
- Help dispel myths about mental illness.
- Promote greater awareness of mental illness.
- Encourage people to seek help for mental health problems.
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