Unmasking Mental Health: The Truth Behind the Stigma

Introduction

Mental health is a serious topic, but it can also be difficult to talk about. The word "mental" has a stigma attached to it that makes people uncomfortable and afraid, even though mental health issues aren't really any different than having a broken leg or being diagnosed with diabetes. For example, depression is as tangible as cancer: both are biological processes that happen in your body and have physical consequences. Yet there's still an increasing amount of discrimination against those who suffer from mental illnesses—and the ramifications go beyond just how you feel about your mental well-being. Let's debunk some of the myths around this issue and start creating an open environment where anyone can discuss their own experience with depression or anxiety without shame or judgment!

Stigma is a negative social attitude toward a behavior, such as mental health issues.

Stigma is a negative social attitude toward a behavior, such as mental health issues. Stigma can lead to discrimination and prevent people from seeking help for their mental health problems.

There are many types of stigma against people with mental illnesses:

• Internalized stigma - when you feel ashamed or embarrassed about your diagnosis
• Social stigma - rejection by others because of your diagnosis (for example, being fired from your job because of it)

It's been shown that stigma can have an impact on mental health and well-being.

Stigma can hurt mental health and well-being. It's been shown that stigma can lead to discrimination and discrimination can hurt mental health.

For example, people who are experiencing mental illness often face barriers when trying to access services or social support from family members and friends. This means that they may not be able to get help when they need it most -- leading them down a path towards isolation, poor physical health outcomes such as obesity/diabetes, and other issues related to poor lifestyle choices (such as smoking).

Stigma also prevents people from seeking treatment for their condition because of fear about how others will react if they find out about their illness - whether this is due to misunderstanding or prejudice against certain groups (e.g., people with schizophrenia).

People with mental health issues are underrepresented in positions of power.

You know that someone with a mental health condition is more likely to be unemployed than someone without, but did you know that people with mental health issues are also underrepresented in positions of power?

According to the Mental Health Foundation, only 4% of MPs have a diagnosed mental health problem. And while there are no figures on how many members of parliament have been treated for depression or anxiety-related conditions (the way we talk about physical illnesses like diabetes), there are some who have spoken publicly about their experience with depression and anxiety--and those who haven't yet wanted to do so.

It's worth noting here that legislation can only go so far when tackling stigma; it cannot legislate against discrimination or negative attitudes toward those with mental health problems. It can't change society overnight either; it takes time for new ideas about what constitutes "normal" behavior before they become mainstream cultural norms that no longer need to be legislated against; this applies equally well across all forms of social oppression including race/gender/sexuality etcetera as well as disability status itself!

Stigma can lead to discrimination, which can affect a person's ability to find housing, employment, and social support.

• Discrimination can be in the form of social exclusion, which is when someone is excluded from a group or activity because of their mental illness. For example, if you tell your boss that you have bipolar disorder and need time off for treatment, he might not want to hire you because he thinks it will be too much trouble for him to accommodate your needs.
• Discrimination also affects your ability to find housing and employment; people with mental illnesses are more likely than others without them to be homeless or unemployed due to stigma-related obstacles such as lack of support networks and difficulty accessing services (Statistics Canada).
• Stigma has been shown to cause feelings of low self-esteem due to negative attitudes toward those with mental health issues (Canadian Mental Health Association).

Negative attitudes about mental health can prevent people from seeking help when they need it most.

There are many reasons why people with mental health issues may be hesitant to seek help. Some of these reasons include:

• Fear of being judged
• Fear of discrimination by employers and others in the community (e.g., landlords, co-workers)
• The fear that friends and family members will reject them because they have a mental illness

There are tangible consequences for treating mental health issues differently than physical health issues.

There are tangible consequences for treating mental health issues differently than physical health issues. People with mental illness have higher rates of unemployment and poverty, as well as poorer access to housing and healthcare.

While there are many reasons why this is the case, one reason that stands out is stigma--the negative beliefs people hold about those who have a mental health condition or illness. This stigma can be seen in how we talk about our own experiences with mental health problems: We say things like "I'm depressed" instead of "I have depression" because we believe there's something shameful about having an illness that affects your brain function (despite it being no more embarrassing than having diabetes). We also use terms like crazy or insane when describing someone who acts erratically or unpredictably--and this language reinforces stereotypes about those who live with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder by implying that they're somehow dangerous due to their "uncontrolled" behavior (even though most people diagnosed with these conditions are not violent).

The ramifications of stigmatizing mental illnesses go far beyond the individual who is suffering from them

Stigma is a major barrier to treatment. It can prevent people from seeking help, or lead them to be reluctant to share their struggles with others. Stigma also affects a person's ability to find housing, employment, and social support.

Stigmatization of mental illness has been shown to lead directly to discrimination against those who suffer from it--from being denied jobs or housing because of your diagnosis, or even being denied service by an establishment like a restaurant because they don't want someone with mental illness there (this has happened many times).

Conclusion

The stigma surrounding mental health issues is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. It can affect how people feel about themselves, how they interact with others, and even their ability to get the treatment they need. We hope that by shedding some light on this issue and its consequences, we've helped you understand why it's important for us all--regardless of whether or not we have experienced mental illness ourselves--to work together towards ending stigma in our society once and for all.