The Stigma of Mental Illness
Mental Health is a field in nursing that you see many people still do not know how to handle the
disease. They have alot of fears toward people with mental illness because they are crazy.
The sad part is that 1 in 5 families someone has mental illness. The person standing behind
you at the grocery store could have it – your best friend and they have not told you for fear
of losing you as a friend. It can be your mom, your dad, your brother or you.
Stigma may be obvious and direct, such as someone making a negative remark about your
mental health condition or your treatment. Or it can be subtle, such as someone assuming
you could be violent or dangerous because you have a mental health condition. These and
other forms of stigma can lead to feelings of anger, frustration, shame and low self-esteem
as well as discrimination at work, school and in other areas of your life. For someone with
a mental illness, the consequences of stigma can be devastating. Some of the harmful effects
of stigma include:
- Trying to pretend nothing is wrong
- Refusal to seek treatment
- Rejection by family and friends
- Work or school problems or discrimination
- Difficulty finding housing
- Being subjected to physical violence or harassment
- Inadequate health insurance coverage of mental illnesses
Steps to cope with stigma
Learning to accept your condition and recognize what you need to do to treat it, seeking
support, and helping educate others can make a big difference. Here are some ways you
can cope with stigma:
- Get treatment. Don't let the fear of being "labeled" with a mental illness prevent you
from seeking diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis and treatment can provide relief by
identifying what's wrong in concrete terms, and reducing symptoms that interfere with
your work and personal life. - Don't let stigma create self-doubt and shame. One of the most important ways
to minimize the stigma of mental illness is to come to terms with your illness. Others'
judgments almost always stem from a lack of understanding rather than information
based on the facts. Feeling ashamed, embarrassed or humiliated because of
something beyond your control can be very destructive. Psychological counseling
may help you gain self-esteem and cope with your reaction to others' bias or your
own self-judgment. Seek support. If you have a mental illness, it can be hard to
decide who to tell, if anyone, and how much to tell. You may not be comfortable
telling anyone anything about your condition.
. - Don't equate yourself with your illness. You are not an illness. So instead
of saying "I'm bipolar, " say "I have bipolar disorder." Instead of calling yourself
"a schizophrenic," call yourself "a person with schizophrenia." Don't say you
"are depressed." Say you "have depression." - Use your resources. Stigma can have effects on your education, career,
housing and other areas of your life. Take advantage of federal, state and
nonprofit resources available to you. . - Get help at school. If you or your child has a mental illness that affects
learning, find out what plans and programs might help. Discrimination against
students because of a mental health condition is against the law, and educators
at primary, secondary and college levels are required to accommodate students
as best they can. Talk to teachers, professors or administrators about the best
approach and available resources. If a teacher doesn't know about a student's
disability, it can lead to discrimination, barriers to learning and poor grades.
Watch this short video about the Stigma – Share this blog post by clicking on the
facebook like button and the re-tweet. Help get the word out about mental illness.
Angela is a nurse that has worked for 22 years in the same state funded hospital assisting
some clients that others might refuse to treat. She works in the psychiatric ward.
At 5' 7" tall many of the patients she treats come in shackles and tower over here, but
this power packed woman is able to release peace into a chaotic environment.
Listen in as she shares weekly some of the events that she has experienced, learning
to love those who others have forsaken and tips on how to bring peace to your own life.
She also runs her own company on the side teaching other nurses how to bring passion
into their role at work. Offering alternative health insights, out of the box remedies for
speaking to people and more…. Angela's radio show is laser sharp for today's world!
Angela is a nurse that has worked for 22 years in the same state funded
hospital assisting some clients that others might refuse to treat. She works
in the psychiatric ward.
At 5' 7" tall many of the patients she treats come in shackles and tower over
here, but this power packed woman is able to release peace into a chaotic
environment.
Listen in as she shares weekly some of the events that she has experienced, learning
to love those who others have forsaken and tips on how to bring peace to your own life.
She also runs her own company on the side teaching other nurses how
to bring passion into their role at work. Offering alternative health insights,
out of the box remedies for speaking to people and more….
Angela's blogtalk radio show is laser sharp for today's world!
Help someone else – Click the Facebook like button and hit the Re-Tweet.
Someone you know May need to read this information!
SHARE It!
Crystal Biggs Birdwell