Mental Health – ME OR MY BRAIN?

WHY THE STIGMA? ‘We stand in relation to some aspects of mental health-particularly in the way we refer to mental illness, in the language that we use and misuse-roughly where we stood in relation to race 20 to 30 years ago.’

Stigma People wouldn't dream of saying a racial or ethnic slur yet many of us talk about nutters, fruit cakes, lunatics etc why is this? Conformity - Perhaps we stigmatize the mentally ill because society always marginalizes people who are different. We are sold into this idea of conformity. Fashion, food, mannerisms, stereotypes etc Humans needing evidence or being ignorant - Because we don’t see it, humans are often ignorant and don’t attempt to understand something that they cannot see. When we go abroad the first thing many people do is look for a British pub, serving British food and fellow brats. We human beings can often be very narrow minded. The media - The media is partially responsible for the misconceptions about mental illness as the crimes committed by mentally ill individuals are often sensationalized and scrutinized. The reporting of cases involving mental illness fails to educate people on what it is like to live with a mental illness and leaves out key facts and context. Sadly the media is meant to inform but too often it makes statements that are simply not true.

Consequences of stigma Lack of compassion and understanding Shame – resulting in more self loathing Bullying Worsening of symptoms Missed opportunities for early intervention - Discourages proper treatment for the mental illness. And children who are mentally ill often do not find it easy to engage with treatment regimes, this can be an even greater barrier to successful treatments. Isolation and suffering in silence