Why People Hide Their Mental Illness

Each year for close to seventy years, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has celebrated Mental Health Week. The theme one year was GET LOUD for mental health (#GETLOUD) and, like many other initiatives, the celebration week was intended to raise awareness and end discrimination surrounding mental illness.

Because of the stigma around mental illness, I have an acute understanding of the need for awareness campaigns. During my keynotes and workshops, I ask participants to complete a confidential survey. Their answers to two of the questions offer both a reason for hope, and a reminder that we still have work to do.

Question 1: Do you think people can control symptoms of a mental illness in the same way they would a bad mood or a stressful period in their lives?

In answering this question, the overwhelming majority of audience members respond “No,” and add comments such as “They cannot control symptoms of a mental illness as they would a bad mood; it is an illness and requires treatment.” This is evidence that a growing majority of peopleunderstand mental illness to be exactly that—an illness that requires treatment.

Question 2: If you were to experience symptoms of clinical depression or anxiety, would you be ashamed, feel guilty, and be likely to hide it from your colleagues, friends, and/or family? Or would you be comfortable to come forward?

Approximately sixty percent of responses to this second question indicate their first instinct would be to feel guilty, ashamed, fearful, and, ultimately, to hide the symptoms. They’d “soldier on” rather than come forward. Of those who responded in this way, the majority had indicated their understanding of mental illness in their answer to the first question.

This shines a light on the stigma that still affects people suffering from mental illness. Stigma is a powerful force, even for the people who already understand that mental illness is an illness.

We need to keep working together to address this challenge until everyone who suffers from a mental illness can proceed in the same way someone would after a breast or prostate cancer diagnosis. They could speak freely about their illness, seek help, and be unafraid of stigma, judgment, and discrimination.

Although we are on the right path, we aren’t there yet.

Jason Finucan

Founder, StigmaZero | Author | Instructor | Inspirational Speaker | Consultant