Overcoming Mental Health Stigmas
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to education and discussion about the mental health struggles that so many people experience on a daily basis. Through open dialogue, the goal is to increase awareness, promote support and reduce the stigma that can surround mental illness.
While society has come a long way when it comes to understanding mental health problems, there are still many misconceptions and stereotypes that can make things more difficult for those who suffer from them. The stigma that may come along with a mental health disorder may prevent someone from seeking proper help, leaving them in a cocoon of shame and silence in the name of self-preservation.
This blog will dive into what exactly a mental health stigma is, the impacts it has and how we can work together to break out of this pre-determined and outdated idea. Through knowledge, communication and community, we improve the odds of those around us feeling understood, empowered and supported on their path to improved mental health.
The Types of Mental Health Stigmas
Stigmas in the mental health world run rampant, with many people not even realizing they hold these negative perceptions. In the simplest terms, a stigma is a negative attitude or set of beliefs that surround a certain circumstance. Mental health stigmas show up at the workplace, within schools, amongst family and friends and even within someone’s own mind. Understanding how stigmas present themselves is a key component of recognizing and removing them from the narrative. When it comes to mental health, stigmas show up the most in the following ways:
- Societal Stigmas: A societal stigma refers to the negative beliefs that society in general can often hold regarding people with mental health problems. These harmful assumptions are compounded with stereotypes throughout the shows and movies we watch, books we read and conversations we have until eventually the beliefs are held as facts.
- Self Stigmas: Personal or self stigmas occur within the individual, marked by guilt, shame and self-blame for their thoughts and behaviors. This is perpetuated by societal stigmas, leading people to internalize those common beliefs and making it more difficult to seek help.
- Label Stigma: Label stigma is what happens when others define a person based solely on their diagnosis. Labels are an important part of finding the right treatment, but can sometimes feel like it becomes a person’s entire identity, the only thing someone else can see. Assumptions about the diagnosed condition are attributed to a person based on society’s stereotypes without separating the individual from the disorder.
- Associative Stigma: Associative stigma is what it’s called when people who are related to or spend time with those who have a mental health disorder are treated differently because of it. Just the association with a person that has mental health problems causes certain people to hold negative beliefs about them, treating them differently than they would otherwise.
These stigmas show up in a number of ways, making it more difficult for people to reach out for help for fear they will be looked at differently or negatively. Stigmas can worsen conditions, discourage treatment, ruin relationships, dictate policies, and overall just make an already difficult problem even more so.
The Impact of Mental Health Stigmas
The stigmas that surround mental health can be detrimental, affecting lives in more ways than one. Even if a person knows in their heart a stigma isn’t true, hearing the same messaging again and again is bound to sink in and impact how they begin to view things, too.
Emotional Impacts
It’s no surprise that these negative stigmas cause an emotional impact. Hearing and seeing negative perceptions about something you’re going through can harm a person’s self-worth, making them feel embarrassed and ashamed of what they are going through. Feeling judged or misunderstood can also make someone question their own feelings, causing them to blame and isolate themselves.
Psychological Impacts
Stigmas make people feel as if they are a burden, creating an internal conflict about their worth. The negative feelings that stigmas bring on can make mental health conditions worse, making it harder for people to believe that it can indeed get better.
Social Impacts
The social impact of mental health stigmas stretches across dynamics, potentially impacting personal relationships, professional or educational opportunities, and community experiences. On the one hand, knowledge of these stigmas may make people withdraw and avoid others out of a fear of being judged or misunderstood. On the other hand, these misconceptions cause others to discriminate, avoid or exclude people that they know have a mental health disorder.
Treatment Impacts
One of the worst ways stigmas may be damaging is when it comes to seeking treatment. Fear of being dismissed, labeled or judged can cause people to avoid discussing how they are feeling with a trusted professional. Reaching out for help should be an empowering, positive move in the right direction, but being surrounded by negative stigmas can instead cause people to decide it’s better to suffer in silence.
Overcoming Mental Health Stigmas
The good news is – stigmas don’t have to last forever. Through continued awareness and open communication, society as a whole can reframe how mental health is viewed until it’s eventually embraced for what it is. Together, the narrative can be changed through a combination of efforts:
Education
Knowledge is power! The best way to fight against fear is with clear, straightforward facts. Taking the time to learn the truth about mental health conditions provides a better understanding of what they really are, breaking down outdated assumptions one at a time. For those who struggle with mental health, fact-based education can help them better understand what they are going through in a way that breaks it down logically instead of emotionally. For those not currently struggling, it provides a basis of knowledge to understand others and see them in a new light. The more education available on the what and why of mental health, the more clear the true picture can become to society.
Awareness
Mental health struggles shouldn’t be swept under the rug. Pretending it doesn’t exist does nothing to fix the problem, instead working to exacerbate it. The truth is, at least one in five adults in the United States live with a mental illness – it’s time to stop pretending it’s uncommon. Awareness campaigns can be big or small, simple or over the top, local or national. What matters is that the conversation gets brought into the open, providing a spotlight on a complex issue to boost understanding. Awareness campaigns also let people know that they aren’t alone in what they are going through, and they have support.
Communication
Open communication is a great way to reduce stigmas and increase understanding. A stigma becomes what it is due to the repetitiveness of the ideas and thoughts behind it. When there are people openly disputing that stigma, it opens eyes to reality. Sharing mental health struggles with others is not only validating and empowering, it gives a new viewpoint and experience for others to file away – as long as they are willing to listen.
Push Past Mental Health Stigmas with Peak Psychological Services
Mental health stigmas will exist as long as they are allowed to go unchecked. But with open minds, open ears and open discussion, together we can turn the tides to a more compassionate, realistic view on mental health.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, Peak Psychological Services would like to challenge you to have an honest conversation with someone in your life about mental health, whether that means sharing your own story, supporting theirs, or even challenging a stereotype. Prioritize education and advocacy by getting involved in awareness campaigns or starting your own. Each honest moment is a step toward a society with less stigmas and more empathy.
If you have found yourself struggling with mental health issues, support is waiting for you. We offer services for a variety of mental health challenges. The team at Peak would love to have a conversation to see how we can help you find your way to brighter days. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to get started – and know you’re never alone.
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