The Stigma on Labeling Psychological Disorders
Living with a psychological disorders not only is difficult for someone on a personal level, but it is also difficult when it comes to the stereotypes and stigmas that come along with it. Although psychological disorders are almost impossible to hide from, there are many stigmas on the disorders and the people who suffer from them. Stigmas and stereotypes have always been around but, when it comes to psychological disorders, it has become out of hand with the assumptions people have started to make. One in five Americans will suffer from a mental illness each year. 42.5 million adults in the United States suffer from a mental illness each year, so why are stigmas still an ongoing problem?
As if living with a mental illness isn’t hard enough, you also have to deal with the stigmas that come along with it. Some people don’t quite understand the actual meaning of the word ‘stigma’. Stigma is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype). (Mayo Clinic, 2017) When having a mental illness and others knowing about it, a person can be robbed from opportunities such as job promotions, health care, safe housing, and just being liked by other people. Typically when thinking about a person who has a mental illness, some just assume the person is unfit to perform certain tasks in society. Which yes, some people with mental illnesses can not always do certain tasks like people who don’t have a psychological disorder. It all depends on how strong and aggressive the disorder is.
There are two different types of stigmas. There is a public stigma and a self-stigma. A public stigma would be similar to the definition above. A negative thought or belief against one group of people for certain characteristics. Examples of a public stigma would; be if a person with a severe mental illness should automatically be feared and kept away from the rest of the community, people with mental illnesses are irresponsible and should not be able to make decisions on their own. The last popular stigma against people with a severe mental illness is that they are childish and should be taken care of by others. A self-stigma is a negative belief about yourself with agreement of the public stigma. Self-stigma starts when an individual is living in a society that is very strong when it comes to stigmatizing a mental illness. After hearing these things, after a while the person with the mental illness will start to believe these ideas and think they are less valued than the rest of society. (World Psychiatry, 2002)
Certain people who hear that another individual has a psychological disorder will automatically believe that they are “crazy”, “psycho” or need to be admitted to a “psych ward” just because they have a mental illness. Mental illnesses can range from anxiety and depression, bipolar disorder, all the way up to schizophrenia. Depression is the most common disorder that was reported. (Feldman, 2017) Decades ago people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were locked up asylums and prisons because they were believed to be extremely dangerous. People think we have come a long ways since this point in time, but what about prisons and local jails now? More than half of inmates now have a mental illness and usually commit suicide while in prison (Malibu, 2018). When it comes to substance abuse and depression, those people are still valued in a lesser way even though it is a brain disorder, not because they choose to be this way.
The reason the stigma has gone on this far and long is because people are not educated in mental illnesses. They do not understand that people with mental illnesses are not all dangerous and a threat to the community. The reason some people have mental illnesses could be from, environmental stressors, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these. (Mental Health Problems- an Introduction, 2017) Psychological disorders don’t just appear one day on any particular person. If more people would understand this, the stigma on these illnesses would lessen.
The stigma on mental illness will never go away completely. If an individual is struggling with the stigma on their disorder, there are plenty of ways to cope with it. The first step into feeling better about the stigma is telling a loved one that can be trusted and is accountable. In the process of this, the person must always believe that they are not alone. There are many other people suffering with the same psychological disorder. Seeking treatment would be the next biggest step. Admitting to yourself that you actually do need the treatment is never easy. Many people are worried about being labeled once they do decide to see a therapist. Do not let the stigma create self-doubt and shame. Receiving help when you can no longer do it yourself is nothing to be ashamed of. Becoming isolated will just make the healing process and almost nonexistent. Going out and trying to enjoy life the way it is will help tremendously. Being around people who are encouraging and wanting the best for you are the people you should always be around.
The stigma on labeling psychological disorders will never go away completely. The most anyone could do would be to educate themselves and others. Being educated on the topic would help others struggling with the disorder to feel more comfortable to seek help and not feel so ashamed.
References
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Volume 2 — with contribution from Dr. Kimberly Paul — Special Edition for Southeast Community College (11th ed.) (p. 425–463). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Malibu. (2018, January 15). Why is There a Stigma About Mental Illness? Retrieved from
https://www.inspiremalibu.com/blog/dual-diagnosis/why-is-there-a-stigma-about-mental-illness/
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