Let's talk about STIGMA, and what it is.

Stigma is: A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.

Stigma And Mental Health: Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma. Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart from others. When a person is labelled by their illness they are no longer seen as an individual but as part of a stereotyped group.

As a person who, is both an advocate of Mental Health and one that deals with mental health issues. I can't begin to tell you how disheartened I am, to learn that some politicians in Washington are now defining the meaning of PTSD and who this distinction should apply to.

That is exactly what happened, when Republican Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana tweeted Wednesday, “Rep. Ilhan Omar complained she’s ‘stricken with PTSD’ because of recent events in the Middle East. This is a disgrace and offensive to our nation’s veterans who really do have PTSD after putting their life on the line to keep America safe.

The congressman obviously doesn’t know you don’t have to have fought in a war to experience post-traumatic stress disorder. The American Psychiatric Association defines PTSD as “a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.”

It is the actions by Republican Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, that keeps STIGMAS ALIVE.

However, if people like you, like me and Rep. Ilhan Omar are willing to talk about and share their experiences with mental health issues, this is the first step in eradicating the stigmas still associate with mental health.

For the record Rep Ilhan Omar fled war in Somalia and stayed at a Kenyan refugee camp before later immigrating to America. And many refugees experience PTSD and other forms of mental issues and concerns years after fleeing war zones.