Psychology & Mental Health
Fighting Internalized Stigma & Ableism
My internalized ableism and I are doing battle and I’m going to win because I’m stubborn AF.
“Internalized oppression is not the cause of our mistreatment; it is the result of our mistreatment. It would not exist without the real external oppression that forms the social climate in which we exist. Once oppression has been internalized, little force is needed to keep us submissive. We harbour inside ourselves the pain and the memories, the fears and the confusions, the negative self-images and the low expectations, turning them into weapons with which to re-injure ourselves, every day of our lives.” — (Marks, 1999, p. 25)
Social Stigma
Social stigma is defined as the disapproval of, or discrimination against, an individual or group based on perceivable social characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society.
Ableism
Bogart & Dunn defined ableism as “stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, and social oppression toward people with disabilities”.
Ableism is the discrimination against, and oppression of, disabled people based on a societal belief that being abled is “normal” and is…
