The Stigma of Mental Illness
Find a Conversation
The Stigma of Mental Illness
| Tue, 11-22-2005 - 10:05am |
November 22, 2005
Welcome to today's edition of Emotional Health, designed to keep you on track in a hectic world.
Feeling Stigma's Sting
The stigma of mental illness is real, painful, and damaging to the lives of people who experience it. Consider the affects of stigma:
- Stigma discourages people from getting help. At any given time, one in four adults and one in five children experience a mental health problem. Early and appropriate services can be the best way to prevent an illness from getting worse. Many people don't seek such services because they don't want to be labeled as "mentally ill" or "crazy."
- Stigma can also keep people from getting good jobs and advancing in the workplace. Some employers are reluctant to hire people who have mental illnesses. Thanks to the Americans With Disabilities Act, such discrimination is illegal. But it still happens!
- Stigma leads to fear and mistrust. Even though the vast majority of people who have mental illnesses are no more violent than anyone else, the average television viewer sees three people with mental illnesses each week — and most of them are portrayed as violent. Such inaccurate portrayals lead people to fear those who have mental illnesses.
- Stigma results in prejudice and discrimination. Many individuals try to prevent people who have mental illnesses from living in their neighborhoods.
- Stigma results in inadequate insurance coverage. Many insurance plans do not cover mental health services to the same degree as other illnesses. When mental illnesses are covered, coverage may be limited, inappropriate, or inadequate.


It is unfortunate that there is still a stigma attached with mental illness. It is a very real condition and people who don't think it is are the ones who attach a stigma to it. I wouldn't wish this illness on anyone but would like to see how those people feel just to experience what we do for only one day. I think they would have a change of heart.
Alison