Stop Mental Health Stigma!

stigma ‘a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality or person’

Stigma brings about false beliefs about mental illness leading to negative attitude towards people with a mental health issue.

Stigma often leads to discrimination. Discrimination can be direct such as negative remarks or indirect as in someone avoiding you..

Stigma doesn't just come from others. In my opinion the worst stigma is self stigma. Being judge and jury to oneself and finding yourself guilty...

For years I worked in the mental health sector and totally believed in not discriminating I wanted to reduce stigma for others and to give people a helping hand to reintegrate with society and believe in themselves.. What I didn’t realise was that while I totally believed in what I was doing for others, I couldn’t apply it to myself… I knew I wasn’t worth much, I knew I didn’t deserve help and with an A level in guilt for all the bad I had caused (It was all my fault!) there wasn’t even the faintest glimmer that I could be helped.

Self stigma creates self-doubt and shame.  

Mistakenly you may believe that your mental health issue is a sign of personal weakness and that you should be able to control it without help. 

Don’t ever be reluctant to admit you need help. 

Steps to stop stigma

Self talk  

Don’t be afraid to admit to yourself that you are not coping…

The hardest part is admitting it to yourself and then secondly to someone else. 

If initially you can’t talk about it, write it down, doodle your thoughts, draw out the pain.

Talk to someone.  A problem shared is a problem halved. Talking to someone can be a relief and opens doors to getting help.

Don't isolate yourself. Look to those you trust, family, friends and people who have been there, for compassion support and understanding.                

Speak out against stigma.  Express your opinions, tell your story. It can help you and others facing similar challenges and educate the public and people in business about mental health.

Finally realising that I was worthy of being helped and that in fact in the long run i would be helping those around me more by me being whole and sorted, I was able to start a healing process. It wasn’t easy but I am now pleased to say that I can give back from a place of certainty that talking helps. The more I talk about it and share my story the easier it is to see a purpose for why I do what I do.

So however deep the hole you are in, please know there is a way out. 

Others' judgments almost always stem from a lack of understanding rather than information based on facts. Learning to accept you and recognise what you need to do to help yourself, seeking support, and helping educate others will make a huge difference in stopping stigma.