The Stigma Of Mental Health

“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about” (Hourani 142). A mental disorder is an illness that is experienced by an undeniably large amount of people, and despite this it is still met with discrimination. People perceive mental illness to be less severe and important than physical illness, but by bringing attention to the stigma, people will be aware of the disease. However, what is most surprising is the fact that people’s negative outlook is based on a misconception and misunderstanding about mental disorders as opposed to its reality. This is a pertinent concern in our society because of the way this prejudice affects the mentally ill. Not only are they faced with feelings of insecurity about who they are, but they also are subject to be treated as less than equals, and are seen as outcasts.

People with a mental illness are often feared and rejected by society. This occurs because of the stigma of mental illness. The stigma of mental illness causes the perception of individuals with mental illnesses to be viewed as being dangerous and insane. They are viewed and treated in a negative way. They are almost seen as being less of a human.

These views lead to disagreements about the causes, diagnosis, and the treatment of the disorders. Many people with mental problems are discriminated against because of their mental disorder. Mental illness and stigma refers to the view of the person with mental illness as having undesirable traits. Stigma leads to negative behavior, stereotyping, and discriminatory behavior towards the person with mental health issues. This stigma causes the affected person to experience denial or shame of their condition.

The second one is a condition that results from the coexistence of disparate or antagonistic qualities, identities, or activities, this is not true. It implies that a person with schizophrenia also has multipl... ... middle of paper ... ...om being real. Although personality disorders cannot be cured, they can be managed and “cooled down” through therapy and various medications. Virtually every mental disorder exhibits a designated stereotype behind it. Society has misinterpreted stereotypes so heavily that the mentally ill have been classified as careless and violent people.

Furthermore, Mizock, Russinova, and Millner cite Shad et al. when stating that, “like acceptance, awareness of symptoms has been identified as an important contributor to symptom management” (98). However, if one is ashamed to admit their illness, they may also ignore their symptoms. As a result of this self-stigma, patients are unable to fully accept themselves and therefore unable to recover. Note that self-stigma was the result of public stigma to begin with, meaning that the general public’s misguided ideas about mental illness are harming those trying to recover, regardless of the public’s direct or indirect actions.

In addition, Davey finds fault with the media in stereotyping the mental health sufferers. The media falsely portraits the behaviors of the characters with mental health problems, often as a threat to the social and to themselves, which has “[reinforced] biased beliefs and stigmatizing attitude towards people with mental health problem” (Davey). The image that we see on media does not fully reflects the true personality of the mental health sufferers. Hence, Davey reasonably proves that the confusing sources such as the medical model and the media result in the mental health

People with a mental disorder or with a history of mental health issues are continually ostracized by society, resulting in it being even more difficult for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and to seek treatment. To work towards understanding mental illness is to lift the stigma, and to finally let sufferers feel safe and accepted within today’s society. There are many ways in which the sufferers are degraded and shamed. It is a common perception that mental illnesses are not a priority when it comes to Government spending, just as it is too often forgotten that most mental health disorders can be treated and lead a normal life if treatment is successful. This branding makes a sufferer feel embarrassed and dehumanized; a common perception is that they should be feared or looked down upon for something they have not caused.

Mental Illnesses are some of the most misunderstood illnesses there are. People have preconceived notions of what they are and it is in these ways that they are shown in the media which does not help the situation. These incorrect understanding of mental illnesses have had effect on those with mental illnesses and their (wrong there) being accepted in society. Mental Illnesses are widely misunderstood, and if they were understood more (not needed), they could become more accepted in society. In society, mental illnesses are viewed in a bad light.

These social stigmas increase the fear and shame in people who may be dealing with mental illness and soon develop into self stigmas such as: “I’m crazy” and “I can’t be helped.” Behaviors such as these reinforce the negative stereotypes that bombard society. Gaining an understanding of why there is a stigma, how inaccurate stereotypes are debilitating to the function of those with mental illnesses, and how recognizing social and self-stigma surrounding mental illness will be the first steps to eradicate this problem. People with mental disorders or illnesses are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of crimes. However in newspapers and during media coverage violent criminals are often labeled psychos, maniacs, or schizophrenics. Media, television, and music often dramatize and portray people with mental illnesses inaccurately (Polatis.)

Depression is not just a sad feeling or an attention seeker like society thinks, it is a serious mental illness that is common in many Americans, makes it difficult to live in a normal way, can be life threatening, and with the proper help is treatable. First, depression is a mental illness that makes living a normal life hard. When facing this serious medical condition, you can feel anxious, incredibly sad, or even have an “empty” or “numb” feeling (“Merriam-Webster”). These feelings cause you to not want to do things you normally would find joy in. Your