The Danger of Mental Health Stigma
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. Awareness helps people learn more about mental health and how it affects people. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), most people with mental health illness have been blamed for their conditions at some point. With more understanding comes the breaking down biases or stigmas placed on someone for having a mental disorder or struggling with their mental health. This month can be a great time for you to value your mental health and help others do the same. One way to do so is by discussing examples of mental health stigma and refuting them.
What is stigma in mental health? According to the APA Dictionary, a stigma is “a negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual that may be regarded as a mental, physical, or social deficiency.” Stigmas are used to judge/look down on others and lead to discrimination, biases, and misunderstanding of what people are actually going through.
In particular, this article will take typical stereotypes or stigmas associated with certain mental disorders and break these ideas down. No one should be judged for their mental health and their struggles with it.
The Different Types of Stigmas
Furthermore, there are different types of stigmas people can experience with mental health. The types go as follows:
- Self-stigma: Stigma that people hold for their own mental health concerns.
- Public stigma: Stigma held by the public for people with mental health concerns.
- Professional stigma: Stigma found in healthcare providers.
- Institutional Stigma: Stigma embedded into our society and its systems
These 4 examples of mental health stigma are rooted in the misperceptions, stereotypes, and inaccurate beliefs surrounding mental illness and the people struggling with these illnesses. Mental health stigma causes people to feel ashamed for a condition that is out of their control. Meanwhile, it prevents people from seeking the help they need. In the end, these people face a massive disadvantage in receiving the help and support they may desperately need.
Dangers of Stigmas in Mental Health
How does stigma affect mental health? Before breaking down and refuting particular stigmas, we need to discuss the harmful effects of stigmas on mental health. Stigmas are extremely dangerous to enforce. As mentioned before, stigmas lead to discrimination.
According to NAMI, discrimination can affect people’s lives in various ways. NAMI states that this discrimination comes in the form of harmful laws, stereotyping by healthcare providers, unfair unemployment rates, and more. People who may be struggling with mental health issues can be cast aside or neglected – this is especially dangerous when it affects someone’s ability to receive and understanding care. The de-stigmatizing of mental health is crucial to getting people efficient help and support in our society.
Also, many people believe that people with mental disorders can be dangerous or violent. However, research shows that people with mental health disorders face “a significantly higher risk of becoming victims of violence compared to the general population.” The stigma that people are dangerous can lead to isolation or rejection of people who are in need of social support.
Émile Durkheim, a French sociologist, believed that there were 3 types of stigmas; stigmas dealing with: mental illness, physical deformation, a particular race, ethnicity, religion, ideology, etc. A recent study shows that mental health stigmas are higher in racial minorities. The article highlights the intersectional impact of stigma – the idea that people can face stigma from multiple parts of their identity. For example, a black woman who struggles with mental illness can face more stigma and disadvantages.
Examples of Mental Health Stigma
1. Stigma about Depression
There are many largely held ideas about depression that contribute to the ongoing stigma around it. Many people look down on people with depression for being lazy, dramatic, attention-seekers, or not strong enough to stop feeling sad.
These ideas are incredibly harmful and judgmental of people with depression, especially since you may know someone who is depressed. Depression is one of the most common mental health issues. It affects close to 10% of American adults each year and around 11% of teenagers. Depression can feel all-consuming; it affects many parts of a person’s life, such as health, family, relationships, career, etc.
Major depressive disorder leads to a higher risk of suicide. In 2019, 1.38 million people attempted suicide, and 47,511 people died from it. In light of this information, our society should heavily focus on depression and helping people who suffer. Calling people with depression “attention seekers” diminishes and downplays their needs.
People who have depression struggle with a lack of motivation. Many people may regard their tiredness or inability to get out of bed some days as laziness. Putting this label on someone can hurt their self-esteem and make them feel even worse about themselves.
2. Stigma about Anxiety
Similar to depression, the symptoms people with anxiety have are usually downplayed. Many people like to say “just get over it” to people who struggle with disorders like social anxiety (SAD). Experiencing social phobia is truly draining. This anxiety makes a person persistently fearful and vigilant. People who have it are continually assessing a situation dreading that a terrible outcome will occur – these symptoms are not just easy for most people to get over.
Furthermore, people with social anxiety constantly worry about being laughed at and dislike being in the spotlight – it feels more like they are trapped under a scrutinizing microscope. These fears can cause social anxiety sufferers to become withdrawn, dodge socialization, and develop low self-esteem.
As mentioned in our article, researchers believe various factors might be associated with developing SAD. One factor is growing up in a controlling environment in addition to going through highly stressful events, such as teasing and bullying. Some researchers have looked to chemicals and different parts of the brain to explain this disorder’s development.
3. Stigma about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
You may hear people saying phrases like “I’m so OCD about ___.” Similarly, people who use diagnostic terms such as “the weather is bipolar today” or “she’s totally schizo” are harming people who actually experience these disorders. The phrase about OCD is often used by people who like to keep their surroundings or items neat and tidy. While OCD can make people compulsively clean and struggle with fears of contamination, there is so much more to the disorder that people deal with.
People with OCD face intrusive thoughts that completely disturb and torture them. Violent and distressing ideas plague their minds and make them constantly question themselves. Along with the constant compulsions and rituals, OCD is also a very exhausting disorder. Our society should look at OCD as more than a descriptive adjective used in conversation.
4. Stigma about Trauma and PTSD
About 11-20 out of every 100 veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the American Addiction Centers, people in the military feel stigma around receiving help. The military promotes ideas of toughness and strength – unfortunately, due to the stigma around receiving mental health, veterans may feel like they should keep silent about their struggles.
Similarly, people also downplay the trauma of domestic violence. Some say, “Why you just leave?” when talking about someone staying in an abusive situation. There are many valid reasons why people don’t simply leave. The NCADV reports that people may not leave due to fears of being killed, lack of support system, worries for their children, etc.
5. Other Examples of Mental Health Stigma
Many different things promote stigmas around mental health. As mentioned in a past post, In the article, “Being Asian-American and LGBTQ+: a Teen Perspective,” the writer shares that coming out is scary because topics of sexuality, sex, and mental health are not usually talked about openly.
There are stigmas in different cultures and religions that may make people feel like they can’t talk about what they are experiencing. For example, someone who is LGBTQ+ may feel conflicted with their religion and lack the social support to lean on. Social support is crucial to LGBTQ+ youth’s safety and health.
In 2020, The Trevor Project reported alarming results about the mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth. Notably, over 40% of LGBTQIA+ respondents reported self-harming and seriously considering suicide. The results also showed that youth who had lower access to LGBTQ+-affirming spaces (school, home, work, community events) and people in their lives had higher rates of suicide attempts.
Similar to the ideas pushed on people in the army, men endure the effects of toxic masculinity. Men are told they need to be tough, strong, put-together, and fearless – these cultural norms are harmful and make men feel weak for needing or wanting help.
How to Fight Against Mental Health Stigma
There is still a long way to go to reduce and stop the stigma. In particular, knowing that stigma actually adds more pain to people with mental health conditions, we need to stand up to stop the mental health stigma.
Spread Awareness & Advocate
Importantly, one way to break the stigma is to speak up and spread awareness. Having honest conversations about mental health helps people connect with each other and find community. Share informative posts, educational videos, or articles to spread awareness. You can also help by speaking out about stigmas, sharing resources, and uplifting people’s voices (especially those of marginalized groups).
Challenge your own beliefs. Think of the examples of mental health stigma we discussed in this article – maybe you may have held some of these stigmas. It’s okay to grow and change! You can even help other people do the same.
Support Yourself & Others
Self-stigma is a stigma that people hold for their own mental health concerns. Allow yourself to validate your emotions and be kind to yourself. You deserve to honor your well-being and seek any support you are longing for.
If someone comes to you in need of advice or a shoulder to lean on, try and help them. As mentioned before, social support is critical for people to have – it promotes feelings of safety and comfort in those who need it most. Try to share resources and speak up for them when they could use support.
Be Cautious of the Language
The language people use to describe mental illness can contribute to stigma. This in return can create a barrier to treatment. Often many people use a mental health diagnosis to describe someone’s identity. For example, when people are labeled as “He is abnormal”, or “She is an addict”. In addition, we have grown up in societies that found those terms acceptable, such as “psycho”, “schizo”, and “crazy”. National Institutes of Health (NIH) research has found that using appropriate language can help to reduce mental health stigma. By using respectful language, we actually reinforce the importance of people-first language. For example, instead of saying “He is bipolar”, use “He lives with bipolar disorder”.
Empowerment
Empowerment could mean a lot in your life. It is essential to state your opinions and needs clearly. That is, when you deal with mental health issues, you have the right to ask for what you need in accommodation at home, on the job, and from your healthcare team. Building resilience is another way to empower yourself. This could include setting realistic goals to live with and manage mental health issues, show confidence, and improve self-care. Empowerment could also be to take an active role in treatment as well as offering help and support to others.
Therapy Options & Resources
If you want to break stigmas and improve your mental health, Mind Connections wants to help you! Our therapists can help you with depression, anxiety, trauma, OCD, and more.
If you are in an abusive situation, know that help is out there! Here are some links provided by the NCADV:
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
www.ndvh.org - National Dating Abuse Helpline
1-866-331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org - National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-4673 (HOPE)
www.rainn.org - New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence 1-866-604-5350
Here are some other useful hotlines to turn to:
- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) lists many resources:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741-741
- The Trevor Project (LGTBQ+ Support): 1-866-488-7386
- RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Content Creator, Victoria Gallo; Reviewed by Dr. June