The Stigma of Mental Illness
Kim Sennerikuppam
Be Kind and Present | HP Account Executive | Customer Centric | ICF Certified Coach | Advocate for Pit Bulls | "Be The Change you Wish to See in the World"- Gandhi|
1 in 5 experience a mental health condition. Think about that. You are out with your friends and there are 10 of you. That means at least 2 of the individuals are suffering. Some may feel alone, some may be getting support, but regardless, each day they have to work to meet the pressures that society puts on them.
Why is this important? When an individual has a mental health condition and feels misunderstood, mental illness is overwhelming and downright scary. That feeling that no one will understand and even worse, the feeling of being crazy can cause individuals to feel hopeless.
What can each of us do? Be supportive. Listen and don't give advice or make it about your situation. Show less judgment and more understanding. Give hugs when appropriate or send a virtual hug through a text or email. Now more than ever, we need to be there for each other.
Lastly, remember to always be kind. Smile at someone at the grocery store or give a compliment to someone you don't know! You never know what impact that will leave and how it could make someone feel. Together we can make a difference and work to take away the stigma of mental illness.
NYC’s Solution Expert for HP Inc. | Strategic Partnerships for Large Public Enterprises
3 年Thank you for writing this. I hope more people take the information to heart.
Lead With Humor I DE&I I @HP WW Communications
3 年Love that your continued brave conversations on mental health have made it to article form. Great work Kim!!
I teach history classes and work with fellow educators who are teaching social studies courses at Brazosport ISD. I have a passion for teaching history to students of all ages.
3 年I am so glad that you are taking the time to tackle this issue and to address the need for empathy in such a profound, thought-provoking, and caring manner. I have known so many people in my life-- family members, co-workers, and friends who have suffered from mental illness and each of them, in almost every case were also-- talented, beautiful, and in many cases, brilliant, too. They just needed additional support from their network of support and sometimes had special needs that their network was not always prepared to provide. But, I know that showcasing that you cared not just about them, but, for them can make a real difference. Kim-- thank you for taking the time to make a real difference. Have a wonderful day-- Sincerely-- John Long ??
Nothing is impossible if you really go for it
3 年Knowing first-hand that admitting you have a mental health issue messes up all chances to ever get a new job in the future i have to admit i don't care what people think of me. Sorry for the employers skipping on me because i am on the autism spectrum. They will never know the opportunity they missed out on by not hiring me.