Standing Up and Breaking Stigmas
Mental Wellness isn’t talked about as often because of these stigmas of “disgrace”, “shame”, “mistrust”, “crazy/nuts”, etc. Personally I struggled with this and it is a reason many do not talk about their mental health - seeing it as a weakness and flaw in my character if I show my mental health conditions. In reality though, by taking a stand and talking about it and working together we can reduce stigmas and create a positive change. When there is less isolation in one’s life the more likely one is to talk about their mental wellness. If we don’t do something about it the cycle of pain from keeping it to ourselves will remain.
In light of stigmas and breaking them down we will be answering some common stigma questions. If you think of any others or things you want others to know feel free to make a comment below!
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Aren’t people with mental health problems generally more violent than those who don’t have mental health disorders?
No, only 3-5% of those with mental illnesses become violent. Those with mental illnesses are ten times more likely to be victims of violent crime than commit the crime.
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Psychiatric disorders aren’t “real” and are actually made up things in the person’s head.
This is false. Psychiatric illnesses are problems with the functioning of the brain. It could be from genetics or environmental factors. This doesn’t mean it is made up though as the person’s brain is just wired differently.
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Why don’t those with depression just do something fun to get in a better mood?
Depression isn’t something that can be shaken off. Those with depression may be in that stage for days, weeks, months, and even years. With treatment depression can “relapse” in a sense where a person becomes not depressed for a certain amount of time. Depression is a result of a change in chemicals and function in the brain. Common treatments are medication and psychotherapy.
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Once you have a mental illness it never goes away. They are just sick forever.
This isn’t necessarily true. First of all, those with mental illnesses aren’t sick. Their function is just different. Second of all, with the right plan one can receive treatment for their condition. It could be to manage anxieties, depression, flashbacks, etc. With the right treatment plan one can still lead a productive life. Mental illnesses are functions in the brain though, so there can never be a full “healing” but with the proper treatment aspects of the illness can become dormant. For example, with my ADHD I have learned how to not jump from thing to thing for a certain amount of time. Eventually it comes back as a problem but when I continue treatment it stays “dormant”.
What are some other stigmas that you or someone you know has experienced?
Also as some of you may have read already on another post we have Inclusivity Diaries in our subcommunity! It gives you a chance to be interviewed about your disability or interview someone else. If anyone is interested you can fill out this form.
Check out a fun game of This or That: Self Care Edition to remind ourselves part of Mental Wellness is taking breaks!
Check out the Interview about Dissociative Identity Disorder with DichotomousDeita!
This post is part of our theme for the Mental Wellness month, Speaking Up and Stigma. See other posts by viewing the masterpost for this event.
{moved to another sub-forum, and also included the linked masterpost on 18/05/22 by MyNameIsNicole}
I think there's also the stigmas of doing things to maintain mental health when stressors pop up.
I have a social worker, some of that is to manage the insurance issues with expensive drugs (HAE is often up in the top 5 conditions for most expensive, I think some others have now pushed that down, but still not affordable paying out of pocket completely unless filthy rich). She also checks in with quality of life, how HAE is impacting things, provides resources, etc. I have experienced some people who thought it was very odd I have a social worker.
I have also seen a mental health nurse (not a psychiatric nurse, moreso of a 'coach' type of support) and a chronic illness nurse. One time I wanted to get tips on better communicating with doctors who are frankly totally ignorant of HAE (just a few months ago, I had one who's knowledge level was well it must be genetic and that was the extent of his knowledge and then a few minutes turned around and announced I cannot have a blood disorder). I thought the chronic illness nurse would best help. I saw my doctor though, she checked into the plan and switch the appointment, as she felt the mental health nurse would be better suited. While I sat waiting between the appointments the receptionists gossiped about me seeing the mental health nurse and how I must be making up illnesses or something like that and that's why I was in the clinic so much.
I think if these small levels of stigma were erased - just people engaging with healthcare to prevent some pretty serious stressors to turn into larger problems - then that would help to cut down on the stigma for the much larger stigmas associated with things like psychosis.
@AffyAvo
I agree with you Affy. It can be absurd to see medical health professionals be the perpetrators of stigma, especially when they are suppose to help, not misinform.
I think this is because when people are uneducated about mental health disorders, and chronic illnesses, neurological disorders, etc, these same people get to work at facilities like the hospital, at restaurants, at hotels, public places where they stigmatise people. The point I'm making is, professionals are simply individuals outside of their workplace.
So that is why it is important for the bias and stigmas around health and wellbeing (as a whole), because it's really discomforting to not be taken seriously due to stereotypical misconceptions.
@MyNameIsNicole @AffyAvo
I agree. With my POTS it is often chalked up to stress but normally it is a physical stressor that causes me to pass out and when I wake up I start stressing because it happened. It is important to advocate because sometimes the doctors don't listen
This is so true. I have some conditions like PCOS that aren’t understood and that can be hard. I have to educate doctors on my rare LD and autism all the time.
@AffyAvo
the social workers for health mind and body in my area hospital are great and are covered even under medacaid<3
@magicalOcean594 my therapists visits is covered thank goodness.
@wonderfulRainbow817 thank you for this well rounded post. I do agree with what has been said, it is simply unfair to be treated unjustly because of a person's state of health.
Growing up, I struggled with talking about my mental health. My aunty had severe depression, and my family labelled her as 'crazy' and I was often scared of her because I was so misinformed that I thought she was psychologically deformed and would hurt me.
Although things are getting better, and people are coming to understand these mental disorders more- it is still difficult to speak up and access healthcare without the judgement and assumptions that are associated with it.
As a person who struggles with anxiety disorders and depression, it has been a difficult journey in understanding that I am not the problem, and that it is not in my head and I can not 'snap out of it'. I do hope with discussions like these, more people become accepting and less presumptions when it comes to mental health, and even physical health.
@MyNameIsNicole
It is so wrong that people feel like they are the problem to begin with. I struggled the same way and still do sometimes but it is important to realize one can do everything "correct" and yet we will still struggle. That doesn't mean there is something wrong with us though. The blame should be on the condition/disorder, not the person.
@wonderfulRainbow817
My experience with stigma has been both because of mental and physical issues. It's horrible to be misunderstood and even worse that so called professionals can and do promote misinformation and stigma.
Remember we're all in this together, have a magical journey!
@wonderfulRainbow817
Thank you so much for sharing this rainbow, as i was just discussing stigmas in my peer support advocacy class today<3
One thing i would like to add, is Others whom dont suffer with mental health Nor are untreated and dont think they have a mental health issue, look at others with a mental health issue as incompetent, lazy, dont want to work. That is not the issue, We with mental health issues all suffer from a chemical imbalance in the brain, that is why medications can sometimes be crucial and vial to treatment sometimes, people just cannot create the amount of chemicals that are needed in the brain, nor may have too much of that chemical... that is not there fault. Also, i hear alot of stigma around addiction and mental health such as... Well if you didnt use drugs, you wouldn't have ended up with all these mental health issues... that "may be so" but that also may be the reason the person used drugs in the first place to number and cover up that mental health issue as they were lacking or gaining to much of the chemicals in the brain and drug addiction was the only way they knew at the time that made them feel better and masked the issue at hand.... <3
thank you for letting me share, i hope that made sense, it made sense in my head, sometimes when i put my thoughts on paper, it does not make sense anymore! lol<3
@magicalOcean594, totally makes sense!
@magicalOcean594
Thank you for sharing this stigma Ocean I hear this a lot on my healing journey 💕♥️
@wonderfulRainbow817
Thank you for this post ♥️
