Stigma is among the most challenging social pitfalls of the battle with mental illness. For conditions where outside help, support, and social ties are critical to coping, stigma undermines countless essential pieces of management. The branding and labelling associated with psychiatric disorder, at it’s extreme, cuts the lifelines of support, and kills.
The tragedy of this is compounded by the inherent injustice of the biases associated with those who are already suffering and vulnerable. Victims of PTSD are often branded as “cowards”. The depressed are labelled as “lazy”. Schizophrenics are identified as “dangerous” in spite of zero factual basis to the claim. Those struggling with addiction are called “criminals” in spite of respecting the legal boundaries of others.
The crux of stigmatizing mental health is this; the labelling justifies kicking the afflicted when they are down, plain and simple. Any other perspective on it is ignorant and perpetuates further abuse.
Stigma nevertheless is rampant amongst our society all the same, creating a further rift between the sick and the care they need. The end result only pours salt in the wounds of a population swimming in the pandemic of mental illness. Any and all efforts spent to raise awareness and combat these biases will save countless victims. Ask anyone who cares for and understands those who suffer, and they will tell you the same thing; stigma opens the door for those already being bullied within to be bullied without as well.
As a seasoned survivor of decades of psychiatric struggle I have had countless encounters with the ignorance of others to my difficulties. I have also witnessed innumerable other survivors marginalized and walked upon. Judgments from people with no clue as to what they are talking about are par for the course when an illness is invisible.
I would present a clarifying example to illustrate my point, in closing. When most people without any medical knowledge encounter someone on the street with a broken femur, their first response is to realize they need to find someone more knowledgeable to assist the victim, lest they cause further harm. Yet when the parallel to the broken leg involves brain damage, nervous system damage, or chemical imbalance, all of a sudden everyone is a psychiatrist.
I pray fervently that society advances beyond these biases more with each generation.
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