The less we know about something, the easier it is to believe false information on that subject. Even though many people are living with mental health disorders, there is still a lot of false information and negative beliefs around mental health. At Palms Behavioral Health, we would like to set the record straight about mental illness.
Who Cares What People Think?
It’s easy to say that it shouldn’t matter what people think, who don’t even know about mental health. In reality, negative beliefs and stereotypes that people hold about mental illness can fuel discrimination and prejudice on a much broader level. This makes it harder for people to get the help they need or may even cause them to walk away from the care that they are receiving.
Stigma can be even more devastating for people who are part of other marginalized groups and also have a mental health condition, because they may face additional stereotypes and rejections for their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, etc., on top of the stigma they receive for having a mental illness.
How Stigma Causes Harm
It’s helpful to understand some common types of stigma that exist:
- Structural stigma: Laws, regulations, and policies that take rights away from people within a group. An example would be penalizing all people with mental health disorders for something one person did, who happened to be mentally ill.
- Public stigma: Negative attitudes and beliefs that individuals or groups hold against a category of people, their families, or the people who care for them. An example might be the belief that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not real and that children diagnosed with this condition are actually just in need of better parenting.
- Self-stigma: The blame and shame that people within a group feel towards themselves. This might look like a person who doesn’t want to tell anyone that they are feeling depressed. They may worry that they will be a burden to their loved ones or blame themselves for their disorder because they believe it’s the result of some moral failing inside themselves.
When all of these different types of stigma occur in combination around a specific subject, such as mental illness, barriers to care can develop, resulting in:
- Poor funding
- Fewer opportunities for people with mental health conditions related to work, school, housing, and social activities
- Bullying, violence, and harassment toward people with mental illness
- Infringement on the rights of individuals and families
- Isolation from the rest of society
- Fear about admitting when help is needed
- Loss of hope
- Loved ones blaming themselves for a mental health condition their friend or family member developed
Ways to Fight Stigma
Understanding and recognizing stigma allows us to take steps to address it. Some actions that can counteract mental health stigma include:
- Supporting policies and practices that reduce barriers and offer increased support to people with mental illness and their families
- Talking openly about mental health and using non-stigmatizing language to address misinformation, whether it’s through in-person conversations, social media, or other forms of communication. When you hear someone using stigmatizing words, like “psycho”, “schizo”, “crazy”, etc. gently remind them that these words are harmful to people with mental health disorders. When someone makes a false statement about people with mental illness, educate them with facts.
- Treating people with mental illness with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.
- Ensuring that you include people with mental health conditions in activities they want to join.
- Placing value on the lived experience of people who have dealt with mental illness and moved forward in recovery.
- Teaching younger generations about mental health from a young age, so that it is just a normal healthcare topic for them.
- Talking about mental health and physical health in similar ways and normalizing getting treatment for mental health, just as one would for a medical issue.
- Joining a support group – whether you have a mental health condition or you love someone who does, there are support groups available to help you navigate the challenges that come your way.
At Palms Behavioral Health, in Harlingen, Texas, we offer mental health treatment for adolescents, adults, families, and older adults who are combating mental illness. We used evidence-based, trauma-informed practices to provide compassionate, individualized care.
