We thought this valuable article by Amy McElroy offering ways to reduce the stigmas against mental illness was worth sharing here. If one were to break his or her leg, s/he would likely seek treatment and then display visible evidence of it without hesitation or shame. When struggling with mental illness, it’s important that the fear of being stigmatized not interfere with seeking treatment, and it would be wonderful if those who have been diagnosed with mental illness were able to pursue treatment openly without fear of repercussions. Please read this excerpt from Ms. McElroy’s article for Rewire Me, then click through to the full text. And if you’re in the greater Cleveland area and suspect that you or someone you love should be evaluated for mental illness or a learning disability, we hope you will contact us.
Mental illnesses of every type, from depression and social anxiety disorder to schizophrenia, can cause people a variety of profoundly difficult symptoms to manage in their daily lives. But society’s fear and mistrust of people with mental illness has created a stigma that compounds those symptoms—crumbling self-esteem and making social, employment and housing challenges even more difficult to navigate. Stigma against people with mental disorderscan even lead to homelessness or suicide.
Here are some tips to understand and help fight against that stigma, so we can support those with mental illness during our daily lives.
Don’t equate people with illness
Remember, a person’s mental illness is not their most defining characteristic. For example say, “A person with autism,” not an “An autistic person.”
Referring to someone as “a schizophrenic,” reduces that person to their illness and ignores all their other qualities; it’s belittling and contributes to the stigma toward people with mental illness.