Stigma

Stigma

Stigma- a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.

    "The stigma of mental disorder"

    Synonyms:      shame, disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, opprobrium, humiliation, (bad) reputation

Let’s talk about something rather serious. I’m sure at one point or another it has affected you or someone you know in a very real way. I’m talking about something that has a very big stigma about it for some reason and to me, it is very sad. I’d like this post to be about Mental Illnesses. Now before you exit out of this, just think about your brother, sister, cousin, father, or even yourself. I can almost guarantee you that in that list, there is someone that just popped into your head.

Mental Illnesses are a very real thing. They are just like a physical injury. The reason behind that is because it effects an organ just like your liver, or your heart. It effects your brain. For some reason though, people often view them as unimportant, and think that the person experiencing them can just snap out of them. Well, as someone who has dealt with them, it’s not that easy. Yes, there are medications that help (key word being help) but that doesn’t make the problem go away. Take Depression for example. I take an anti-depressant to keep me feeling pretty damn good most days. But some days, they don’t always work and I feel not okay for no other reason than to not be okay. Now here is another example- PTSD. It is a very hard thing to go through when people don’t understand why you go through it. You can be walking down the street and a random noise or event can trigger it. It is a very scary thing to have to handle.

There are more mental illnesses than just Depression and PTSD. Anxiety (which more people than you know suffer from), Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia and also very common.  But something you need to realize is JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS A MENTAL ILLNESS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE GOING TO HURT YOU. A lot of this stigma about mental illnesses comes from people believing that they are going to get hurt if they are around these individuals, and that isn’t true. People with mental illnesses are more likely to hurt themselves before they hurt you because they are afraid of being judged for having this illness. Now I don’t know about you, but that really makes me angry. It makes me angry that someone would rather hurt themselves than tell someone about an illness for fear of how people will react. I have lost people because of this and almost lost people because of this.

It’s okay to be scared when told about a Mental Illness, but you need to help the person having it. Not yell at them and say “What the hell is this? Why didn’t you tell me?” Support them. That’s all they are really asking for.

Below are some things about a very serious part of Mental Illness that can occur when people don’t receive the help they need. PLEASE READ IT.

Suicide Warning Signs

 Talking about committing suicide

 Withdrawing from friends and/or social activities

 Being preoccupied with death and dying

 Drastic changes in behavior

 Losing interest in hobbies, work, etc.

Giving away prized possessions

Taking unnecessary risks

Arranging for care of pets

 Losing interest in personal appearance

 Preparing for death by making out a will or making final arrangements

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE CALL THE NATIONAL AND STATE SUICIDE HOTLINES

1-800-SUICIDE   1-800-273-TALK

1-800-784-2433   1-800-273-8255