NEVER BE A SLAVE OF YOUR OWN THOUGHTS

Mental Stigma

Mental health stigma refers to societal disapproval, or when society places shame on people who live
with a mental illness or seek help for emotional distress, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder,
or PTSD.

The pressure of mental health stigma can come from family, friends, co-workers, and society on a
broader level. Groups can also politicize stigma. It can prevent people living with mental illness from
getting help, fitting into society, and leading happy and comfortable lives.

Mental health stigma can come from stereotypes, which are simplified or generalized beliefs or
representations of entire groups of people that are often inaccurate, negative, and offensive. They
allow a person to make quick judgments about others based on a few defining characteristics, which
they then apply to anyone in that group.

For instance, people living with depression are often stereotyped as lazy, while some judge those with
anxiety as cowardly.

Many people fear being labelled “crazy” for

simply seeking support from a therapist.
None of these characterizations are valid,
and all of them are misinformed, cause pain,
and prevent people from getting the help
they need.

An often stereotype about people with

mental illness is that they are violent or
dangerous. However, a small minority of
people living with mental illness commit
violent acts. They are actually 10 times more
likely to be victims of a crime, making them
a vulnerable population we should be
protecting instead of fearing.

History of Mental Stigma

Mental illness has a long history of being stigmatized in societies around the globe. From being
thought of as the mark of the devil to being considered a moral punishment, the ideologies around
the etiology of mental illness have ranged wide.

As a result, treatment has historically not always made scientific sense and has been brutal and
inhumane. Dating back to Neolithic times, trephining, for example, involved chipping a hole in the
person's skull to release the evil spirits. Treatment of mental illness has come a long way since then,
but the fields of psychology and psychiatry are relatively young and still have a long way to go.

Stigma has arisen out of fear and a lack of understanding. It has persisted even with greater knowledge
about the biochemical and genetic natures of different conditions. The representation of mental
illness in mass media can add to the stigma.
As scientists continue to learn more about the causes of mental illness and develop effective
treatments, it is hoped that stigma will decline.

Why does Mental Stigma exist?

Mental stigma arises from a lack of understanding of mental illness (ignorance and misinformation),
and also because some people have negative attitudes or beliefs towards it (prejudice). This can lead
to discrimination against people with mental illness.

Even some mental health professionals have negative beliefs about the people they care for.

Media can also play a part in reinforcing a mental stigma by:

• portraying inaccurate stereotypes about people with a mental illness

• sensationalising situations through unwarranted references to mental illness
• using demeaning or hostile language

For example, if a part of the media associates mental illness with violence, that promotes the myth
that all people with a mental illness are dangerous.

How does mental stigma affect people with mental illness?

A person who is stigmatised may be treated differently and excluded from many things the rest of
society takes for granted, leaving them marginalised. They may become labelled by their illness, and
so become vulnerable to prejudice and discrimination.

Dealing with the effects of prejudice and discrimination is distressing and can exacerbate mental
illness. Many people say dealing with this is harder than dealing with mental illness itself.

People with mental illness may also take on board the prejudiced views held by others, which can
affect their self-esteem. They may feel ashamed or embarrassed. This can lead them to not seek
treatment, to withdraw from society, to alcohol and drug abuse or even to suicide.

Stigma can lead people with mental illness to be discriminated against and miss out on work or
housing, be bullied, excluded from social groups, or become a victim of violence.

Stigma may not be obvious or be expressed in large gestures. It can come in the words people use to
describe a mental health condition or people living with mental illness. This can involve hurtful,
offensive, or dismissive language, which can be upsetting for people to hear. This can cause them to
feel alone and that no-one understands what they are going through.

The effects of stigma can include:

• Internalization of negative beliefs

• Social isolation
• Low self-esteem
• Hopelessness
• Shame
• Avoiding treatment
• Worsening symptoms
• Lack of criminal justice
• Discrimination at work
• Unemployment
 Destigmatizing Mental Health

Learn the signs of suffering

A few signs that may mean you or someone you know might need help:

i. Their personality changes.

You may notice sudden or gradual changes in behaviour. That can me acting in ways that don’t seem
to fit the person’s values, or the person may just seem different.

ii. They seem uncharacteristically angry, anxious, agitated or moody.

You may notice more frequent problems controlling their temper or that they seem irritable or unable
to calm down. People in more extreme situations of this kind may be unable to sleep or may explode
in anger at a minor problem.

iii. They withdraw or isolate themselves from other people.

Someone who used to be socially engaged may pull away from family and friends and stop taking part
in activities he or she used to enjoy. In more severe cases, the person may start failing to make it to
work or school. Unlike someone who is naturally introverted, this sign is marked by a change in typical
sociability, as when someone pulls away from the social support he or she typically enjoys.

iv. They stop taking care of themselves and may engage in risky behaviour.

You may notice a change in the level of personal care or an act of poor judgment on his or her part.
For instance, someone may let his or her hygiene deteriorate, or the person may start abusing alcohol
or illicit substances or engage in other self-destructive behaviours that alienate loved ones.

v. They seem overcome with hopelessness and overwhelmed by their circumstances.

Have you noticed someone who used to be optimistic and now can’t find anything to be hopeful
about? That person may be suffering from extreme or prolonged grief, or feelings of worthlessness or
guilt. People in this situation may say that the world would be better off without them, suggesting
suicidal thinking.
Signs Not To Ignore

• Lack of Concentration
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Upset Stomach
• Muscle-Contraction Headaches
• Sleep Problems
• Depression
• Anxiety

Coping Strategies

Many of the symptoms historically associated with a nervous breakdown can be managed, treated
and cured. Here are some suggestions:

• Seek support. Do not wait until you reach your breaking point. Talk to a physician, therapist
or your Employee Assistance Program for help.
• Try to identify the causes of stress. By recognizing the real reasons behind your tension, you
can learn to feel more in control and change the source of the stress.
• Get enough rest. Doctors recommend at least eight hours of sleep a night for adults.
• Exercise regularly. Swimming, running, brisk walking, aerobic exercises and other repetitive
fitness activities are especially beneficial. Experts recommend exercising at least 20 to 30
minutes three to five times a week.
• Engage in fulfilling activities.
Take a little time each day for
something you like to do: a
hobby, a walk with your
partner, an hour with a good
book, a home-improvement
project, etc.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and
other stimulants. These
common drugs actually can
induce stress and anxiety.
• Avoid alcohol, tranquilizers
and recreational drugs. These
may contribute to anxiety and
depression and an increased
sense of loss of control.

Approaches To Destigmatize Mental Health

When choosing among behavioural health professionals, you should consider their approach to
counselling and treatment. That approach should match your needs and objectives. Most therapists
adopt one or a combination of the following approaches:

• Psychotherapy: To produce change, this type of counselling explores unconscious conflicts,

unresolved past issues and defence mechanisms that may trigger undesired thoughts, feelings
and behaviours.
 • Behavioural (cognitive) Therapy: This type of therapy aims to replace undesired behaviours
with appropriate ones and to help identify and alter ways of thinking to produce change.
• Humanistic Therapy: This approach is based on the principle that people are continually
growing and self-actualizing. Humanistic therapists focus on creating a safe place to explore
new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving.
• Experiential Therapy: This approach is similar to humanistic therapy but utilizes actions,
movement and activities, rather than traditional talk therapy, to encourage patients to let
their guard down and talk about their problems. Among the tools employed in this type of
therapy are role playing , props such as puppets or even interaction with animals.
• Family Therapy: This therapy focuses on the dynamics of family relationships.
• Marital (couples) Therapy: This approach concentrates on improving the dynamics of one’s
relationship with a significant other and involves both partners participating in treatment.
• Group Therapy: This approach allows one to relate to others with similar problems, provide
and receive support, and learn new social skills in a group setting.

Mental health is fluid and can change over time

The presence of absence of various combinations of protective and risk factors contribute to mental
health. So, you should maximize protective factors and reduce risk factors.

Protective Factors support you and make it more likely you will maintain good mental health as they
reduce the impact of risk factors.

Examples include:

• Sense of self efficacy

• Supportive family
• Strong friendships
• Healthy diet, exercise, and development
• Optimism
• Achievement motivation

Risk Factors exacerbate the impact of negative factors on your life and increase the likelihood you will
experience declines in mental health.

Examples include:

• Chronic illness
• Low socioeconomic status
• Poor Nutrition and lack of sleep
• Traumatic life experiences (e.g. loss of a parent)
• Being abused or neglected
• Discrimination
• Perception of insignificance
 Definitions

• According to The Erving Goffman theory, stigma is “a stereotype that discredit the person
characterized by it” (Goffman, 1963), that is, the caricature of a person. The frame selected is
coherent with the object of the study, because it supports the understanding of the concepts
reported by professionals.

References

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mental-health-for-transgender-men#unique-
challenges
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3248273/#R48
• https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination
• https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-illness-and-stigma-2337677
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-illness-
stigma#:~:text=mental%20illness%20worse.-
,What%20are%20examples%20of%20mental%20illness%20stigma%3F,Stigma%20often%20i
nvolves%20inaccurate%20stereotypes.
• https://njms.rutgers.edu/education/pre-
medical/documents/2019/Week%206%20PMHP.pdf