Stigma

I generally avoid using the "stigma" mantra, only because it's a trendy word right now.  I do this a lot, sometimes to my detriment.  For example, I didn't read Psalm 23 for years because it seems like everybody referred to this Psalm- Christians and non-Christians alike.  Then in college I had a class where we spent the entire semester digging into that specific Psalm.  And from that I realized just how amazing Psalm 23 really was.

stigma: a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person : the stigma of mental disorder  

• synonyms: shame, disgrace, dishonor, ignominy, opprobrium, humiliation, (bad) reputation

"The stigma of mental disorder" is actually the first example in the dictionary of using the word.  That seems pretty telling.  Stigma stems from ignorance, or to put it more mildly, lack of education.  And that ignorance/lack of education compounds an already terrible situation, especially for those of us that live with mental illness.

Although I am pretty open about the reality of having bipolar II and anxiety and alcoholism, when I think about it, I am still pretty intentional about how much I will share and who I will share with.  And the darkest, most severe parts of my experience usually are between me and God.  The filters and silence stem from stigma... and they bring isolation and fear, which are Satan's playground.

My part in fighting stigma is talking about my experience with this horrendous reality in my life and taking the risks of being judged, misunderstood, labeled, etc.  I have to be honest though- this takes a pretty big toll on me (and most, if not all, of us with mental illness) and sometimes it is too much to take, especially if I'm in the depressive part of my cycle.  I/we desperately need you ("normal" people) to do your part to learn, put assumptions and judgements aside, and seek to learn humbly.

A huge part of suicide for many people is that the stigma related to their illness prevents them from ever getting help.  Stigma is rampant in mental health service providers, too.  If you didn't already feel ostracized by your illness prior to sitting in the waiting room of a psychiatrist or counselor, or especially heading to the psych ward of a hospital, you will likely feel it immediately upon arrival.  It is clear who is "normal" and providing the services, who is "normal" and supporting us "crazy" folk, and who is "crazy" and needing help.  Obviously there are exceptions to this, but I've been to plenty of psychiatrists, counselors and psych wards and haven't experienced many of these exceptions.  So, many of us would rather harbor our demons and try to fight on our own rather than suffer the shame, disgrace, dishonor, humiliation that wait for us if we seek the help we so desperately need.

For starters, you can click the "mental health" category on the left of my blog to see all the posts I have written associated with mental illness.  For some great data all in one place, go to this post, and read the 5 following posts that I wrote during the most recent "Suicide Prevention Week."  One of my favorite groups fighting against stigma and for our lives is To Write Love on Her Arms and they have some great resources on their website.  Maybe I'll actually devote a whole post to great resources soon.

Please, help us come out of the darkness...