What IS stigma, exactly?
According to Wikipedia, stigma is "a severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms," or "the phenomenon whereby an individual with an attribute, which is deeply discredited by his/her society, is rejected as a result of the attribute."
That definition is a bit dry, and actually doesn't really cover what we're talking about here... Another way to put it is this way: Stigma is when you cross a street to avoid someone because you don't understand why they're acting different. It's that combination of fear and ignorance that makes us shun people different than ourselves. Overweight people carry a stigma - many people would rather not be seen hanging out with a heavy person, and that's just plain wrong. There is a stigma against people with mental illness, too, and that's just as wrong.
According to the Surgeon General, "For our Nation to reduce the burden of mental illness, to improve access to care, and to achieve urgently needed knowledge about the brain, mind, and behavior, stigma must no longer be tolerated." So there.
What, are you schizo or something?
We've all heard jokes. Little sayings that people don't mean in a hurtful manner... "Hey, lighten up... Go take your meds, man." or "Don't be obsessive, geeze. What, are you OCD?" The person saying that probably doesn't even know what "obsessive" and "OCD" really are, and most likely they don't mean to cause harm. But they are. Statements like that imply that obsession and OCD are bad things, and people with that behavior should be avoided, even though the person who says such things may not be aware of what they're communicating.
Thus is born stigma, out of small, innocent things. "You're acting crazy," a mother tells her son, "stop it." The boy just learned that crazy = bad, something to avoid.
So you're telling me that stigma is just words?
It's just "sticks and stones?"
To an extent, yes. Words are powerful things. If you put a negative connotation on the word "manic," then call your friend manic, how do you think that makes your friend feel? But it goes deeper than that. As a society, we have created such a stigma around mental illness that it affects every aspect of a person's life. Someone may avoid treatment simply because they don't wish to be labeled "depressed." Even though this is a physical illness, just like having arthritis, people are afraid their illness will be misunderstood by society and that they will be shunned. So, you see, the words have a real-life impact on people, an impact that can be long-lasting.
There is a certain truth that calling someone "visually challenged" rather than "blind" doesn't change the fact that they can't see, but there IS a difference between calling someone a lunatic and referring to their illness as "obsessive compulsive disorder."
Okay... So whaddaya want ME to do about it?
Some quick rules...
- Teach your children to be respectful. Teach them by example. Remember that a person with bipolar disorder IS A PERSON, and is worthy of your respect.
- Watch your language, and be aware that words can hurt. Don't call anyone anything you wouldn't say about your sainted Grandmother.
- If you know a person with a disability who has overcome their illness to become successful, don't treat them as superhuman... Their accomplishments are full of merit all on their own, they don't need the enhancement of "he became Vice President of the bank even though he has depression." No... He became Vice President of the bank because he worked hard.
- If you should happen to be around someone who uses stigma-laden language, please correct them, gently.
- If you have a mental illness, share your story! Let people know that having a mental illness is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Hey, I have OCD, and I'm mad that you used the
word "lunatic" in the same sentence as "obsessive compulsive disorder" in point three up there.
You're dissing me, man!
Dude. If you are part of the 25%+ percentage of the population that's suffering from a mental illness, please, please be aware that while mean and callous words DO hurt, most of us are quite simply ignorant when it comes to mental health issues and honestly don't mean to hurt your feelings or cause you distress. Please do not think we're being mean to you, or belittling you... But by all means, CORRECT US so we don't do it again.
We're working against stigma, but, unfortunately, like racism, it may take generations for us to erase the problem. The key is information, education, and teaching the next generation what we've learned ourselves.
So, geeze, we've been talking about mental illness this whole time, but what is it, really?
Good question! According to Mental Health America's web site, "A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thinking, perception and behavior." That says it about as well as can be said. They continue to say that there are five major categories of mental illness:
1. Anxiety Disorders - The most common mental illness. The three main types are phobias, panic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
2. Mood Disorders - This includes depression and bipolar disorder.
3. Schizophrenia - This is a serious disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, withdrawal, incoherent speech and impaired reasoning.
4. Dementias - This includes diseases such as Alzheimer's, which leads to a loss of mental functions, memory loss and a decline in intellectual skills.
5. Eating Disorders - This includes anorexia nervosa and bulimia. This is potentially life-threatening.
Is there anything else you wanna tell me?
Yes. Please check out our "Links" section - we're adding stuff all the time, most all of it from people much smarter and better-edumacated than us.
Also, be aware that combat-related PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is truly an illness, and is very much a part of our society today due to the Iraq war. Many Vietnam-era veterans went untreated due to the stigma attached - "Don't call me crazy!" We NEED to realize that PTSD is real, but it is not something to be feared, just treated.
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