Reducing Stigma

Stigma, in the English language originally referred to a scar left by a hot iron – that was a brand. From a time when people were possessions to have their ownership branded on to their skin. This was barbaric then and the branding now is just as barbaric.

In the modern age stigma has grown from the fear of our own incapacity to manage a situation that someone else is facing. STIGMA IS A PROJECTION OF OTHER PEOPLES’ FEARS. When that projection is internalised, it is given greater power than it truly has.

The fear of rejection that is created as a result of that projection, simply amplifies the situation a person is facing. To stigmatise a person is a display of ignorance of facts, fear and self-doubt. It shows a complete disconnect to empathy and congruence and reflects a lack of unconditional positive regard. It breeds hatred, mistrust, breaks down communication, and costs lives.

Emotional management is the biggest factor that triggers stigmatizing reactions. This is simply because we, as a society belittle, devalue, and suppress emotional awareness and understanding.

Do we stigmatise someone experiencing pressure on their bladder? No, because we see the cause of the pressure as physical, even though the outcome of not releasing the pressure can be the same as the impact of not releasing pressure on the brain. Even when that pressure is from an emotional overload.?

?Changing our perceptions and empowering us to appreciate the response from others, is about their fears, of not being able to manage, cope, or even survive the emotional overload that we are feeling.

Case in point. “Men don’t discuss being victims of domestic abuse due to the stigma.”

I, am a male 1976er. I have experienced receiving abuse in the home, abuse that was physical, coercive, emotional and financial. The response of others neither changes or improves that situation. I understand that the stigma from other men is a projection of their fear of being in that situation and not knowing what to do, or how to cope with that. The stigma from women is a projection of their fear that an abused person will become an abuser. (This is a false transference that fuels the fear, and feeds the projection.)

Reducing Stigma will never happen by telling people in emotional and psychological distress to talk about it. Reducing Stigma will only happen when those, that are in distress can Trust, Understand & Believe, that they will be listened to; without prejudice or judgement, that they will be heard and respected for having the self-worth and confidence to see past the barriers of other people’s ignorance of facts, fear and self-doubt.

Connecting to and empowering ourselves to Accept, Acknowledge, and Apologise (The 3 A's) for our own actions before looking to others, for them to do the same, is a sure fire way of breaking the power of someone else's attempt to stigmatise us.

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Reducing Stigma is a benefit of having your own Yellow Heart Team.

IT IS EASIER TO SUPPORT, THAN TO GRIEVE, Stigma will always lead to Grief.?See page 23

Where we:

Elevate: public confidence in the effectiveness and professionalism of the therapeutic community.

Provide: the therapeutic community with an ever evolving and enhancing level of support.

Increase: the positive awareness and use of therapeutic knowledge.

Create: an effective framework for the sustainable and successful development of best practice within the therapeutic community.

A truly EPIC space for all professionals that are Psychologically Aware