I want to start off by expressing how touched I am by the support I received from my first post. I was terrified to speak up at first, but seeing how it was welcomed with love and compassion has shown me how many beautiful souls I have in my life. It’s given me more confidence to keep speaking up. So this week, we’re going to discuss the stigma around mental health.
The Stigma Of Mental health Can Stop Us From Speaking Up
There have been a number of reasons why I didn’t feel comfortable sharing my struggles in the past, and one of those reasons was how mental illness is perceived. Stigma has rooted itself in mental health since it became public knowledge. Sadly, there is still a lot of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination around it. People of all ages, races, and genders have become silent sufferers, and this is a lonely way to live. A lot of them have warm, somewhat fragile hearts that are made weaker by the world’s stigmatisation.
We all have mental health!
What some individuals don’t seem to get is that mental health and mental illness have always existed and will continue to exist regardless of their ignorance. If you’re alive and are able to think, feel, and behave, you have mental health.
Why do I want to speak up?
I hope the following words help anyone reading to gain a better understanding of why the stigma around this topic needs to be broken. Perhaps you’re struggling and need to figure out how to get through to a loved one (I know I was), or maybe you yourself need to become more accepting of this seemingly taboo subject. Even if it only nudges you in a better, more compassionate direction, I’ll feel blessed to have made the tiniest of contributions.
Where did mental health stigma come from?
Generational, cultural, societal, and self-stigma have plagued mental illness, and unfortunately, some have a “follow-the-flock” mentality. It’s just easier and more familiar to agree with the many, than to be brave and lead the pack. For years, we have been depicted as childlike, dangerous, or incompetent. With media and even “unbiased” literature lumping us together. I have been saddened by some believing everything they read instead of using their common sense and intelligence to realise that every individual is different. Every condition is different for each person.
The destructiveness of misinformation.
I have been officially living with Borderline Personality Disorder (otherwise known as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) for years. This is one of the most stigmatised conditions, and I still see information online stating that people with BPD are just unstable and angry. Anyone who has met me knows this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Times have changed.
I am grateful, though, that I am part of an age that is more aware of these kinds of issues. Previous generations haven’t been as lucky. For older souls, mental health was never addressed and never discussed. The majority of information that was available was heavily misconceived. They were raised with the fear that speaking up would result in being institutionalised in places that sounded worthy of their film representation. Resulting in many having lived a life without treatment or support.
How community affects stigma?
Even in modern times, there are some communities around the world that still look at mental illness through a negative lens. Caused by traditional beliefs or just a general lack of information available to them. Being of mixed race, I have experienced stigma in my culture. The Philippines is a beautiful nation with wonderfully loving people, but it is still considered a third-world country. Some citizens live in terrible poverty but still soldier on. Because of this, Filipinos pride themselves on their resiliency and ability to endure. They are tough cookies. But with this mentality, some have developed the notion that those struggling mentally should ‘get over it’ and stop whining about petty things. I have even been made to feel like it’s all in my head (which I guess it is).
Not All Are Ignorant To Mental Health
Taking this all into account, let’s be clear: I don’t want to stigmatise others myself. There are a lot of people who aren’t intentionally unkind; they’re just uneducated and need a little guidance. Thankfully, there is significantly more research now available to teach yourself. Please, I encourage you to learn. Not just to better understand the minds of others, but to better understand your own.
How will stigma affect you?
With all this stigma, it can cause someone to go one of three ways: become empowered to change (usually to prove them wrong), be indifferent to what the world thinks, or allow their sense of self to be damaged because of these perceptions. The latter is where I spent most of my life.
The danger of self-stigma.
Self-stigma is often the result of external stigma. This can include alienating and socially withdrawing yourself because you believe negatively about being ill. You feel ashamed. Like you’re a burden to those around you who don’t have mental illness. You even engage in self-discrimination and stereotyping. I see this as a form of self-harm, which I inflicted on myself repeatedly. I believed I was crazy and was adamant I wouldn’t amount to much. Or I would never have a partner because my mental illness would be too much for anyone to deal with.
You need to take matters into your own hands!
Reflecting on this, I fully agree that the responsibility to break stigma does not lie solely with those who aren’t aware. It is also our mission, as mental illness survivors, to help normalise this issue. I have learned that talking about it openly and honestly has helped me and those I’ve shared it with feel more comfortable. I’ve been able to correct misperceptions they’ve had by sharing facts and information I’ve learned. I’ve remained conscious of the language I use when talking about mental health. It’s important to remember that words matter. It’s also been good to encourage that mental illness is just as important as a physical illness. How would you treat someone who had asthma or diabetes?
Open your awareness and your heart.
And I think just being mindful is a step in the right direction. Being more conscious and self-aware can improve your mindset and life in general. I want closed minds to open and closed hearts to feel.
We are warriors, and we deserve to be seen as such.
What you think about stigma? Let me know in the comments or just fill out a contact form!
