SOCIAL STIGMA, DESCRIMINATION AND MENTAL HEALTH

 

"YOU ARE NOT YOUR ILLNESS"

A good mental health refers to when a person is emotionally in control, able to work productively, and cope with difficulties and able to adapt to and bounce back from challenges and stressful times and on the other hand mental illness or bad mental health refers to the disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental diseases includes anxiety and eating disorders, depression and addictive behaviors. 

SOCIAL STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION AND MENTAL ILLNESS

• Stigma refers to the negative stereotypes of people towards those who are suffering from mental illness. Discrimination is when someone treats you in a negative way or disapproves you because of your mental illness.
• Social stigma and discrimination can make mental health conditions even more worse and stop an individual from getting the assistance they need.

• Social stigmas can also be related to gender, sexuality, race, religion, and culture which can also affect mental health.

More than half of people with mental illness don't receive help for their disorders and they say that stigma and discrimination has a negative effect on their lives.. Often, people try to avoid or sometimes delay seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. 

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION ON MENTAL HEALTH

Some of the effects of stigma include:

• feelings of shame, hopelessness and isolation
• hesitation to request for help or to get treatment
• lack of understanding by family, friends, neighbors or others
• fewer opportunities for employment or social interaction
• bullying, physical violence or harassment
• self-doubt – the assumption that you will never overcome your illness or be able to achieve your goal in life.

Social isolation, housing condition, unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental illness. Basically stigma and discrimination can trap people in a loop of illness.

Why people with mental health problems are discriminated against?!

The reasons for this discrimination which includes:

• Stereotypes: Society can have stereotyped views about unhealthy mental health. Some people believe people with mental health problems are dangerous or evil, but in reality they are at higher risk of being attacked or harming themselves than hurting others.

• The media: Media reports often link mental diseases with violence, or portray these people as dangerous, criminal, evil, or very disabled and unable to live normal lives.

DEALING WITH STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION:

• Get the mental health treatment you need. Try to not let the fear of being labelled with a mental illness stop you from getting help. Mental health conditions are often harder to treat if you wait until symptoms get bad. 

• Do not hide away or isolate yourself, try to connect with others facing same so that you realize that you are not alone and do not define yourself by your illness.

• Choose empowerment not shame "I fight stigma by choosing to live an empowered life to me, which means owning my life and my story and refusing to allow others to dictate how I view myself or how I feel about myself." – Val Fletcher, responding to the question, How do you fight stigma?

-ANSHIKA AGARWAL