stig·ma
noun
noun: stigma; plural noun: stigmas; plural noun: stigmata
1. a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
STIGMATIZED
For the entirety of the human race, people have been battling stigmas. There are very few instances of stigmas resulting in a net positive, so in general, societies view them as a negative thing. However, despite our understanding that attaching stigmas to people is an unhealthy practice, stigmas are very much present and with us today. Although there are many different social stigmas, we’re here to address the stigmas around mental health, mental health disorders & mental illness.
How do we end up with stigmas? A lack of understanding is usually the underlying cause, and this can come from ignorance, prejudice, stereotyping, the spreading of falsehoods & sensationalizing. In the age of social media, we are also at the disadvantage of these damaging stigmas traveling faster than ever on a global scale. In terms of how people view mental illness, the abundance of inaccuracies can be dangerous and harmful.
In the area of mental health specifically, stigmas can lead to furthering and compounding the issues that a person may already be suffering from. Due to our own inaccurate understandings of what might be going on in someone else’s head, we may shun, ridicule, pity, bully & mislabel them. And what happens next? Well, it’s likely that this will exacerbate the situation by causing self-esteem issues, deepening levels of shame, increasing harmful behaviors, & causing people to withdraw further. However, the negative consequence we are going to focus on is a decreased willingness to seek out help.
STIGMAS PUT PEOPLE AT FURTHER RISK
When someone is suffering, the most important thing they can have access to is help. Depending on where you are in the world, help for mental health issues can be challenging to come by at the best of times and almost impossible to come by at the worst. The last thing we, as humans, should want to do is put more obstacles in the way of getting that help. Sadly, that’s exactly what stigmas do.
Here are some of the ways that stigmas impede a person’s ability to seek out treatment:
STIMGAS CAUSE…
feelings of “something is wrong with me”
feelings of “I’m not normal”
feelings of “I don’t fit in”
feelings of inadequacy
a desire to keep what’s wrong a secret
a suspicion that sharing feelings will have detrimental consequences
fear of losing a job
fear of isolation
fear of losing status
fear of what others might think
fear of family and friends finding out
This feeling of fear is what causes people to NOT seek treatment. Maybe the idea of receiving a formal diagnosis is scary because a person may feel that society will view them as "crazy". Maybe they worry that if word gets out that they are in treatment, they could lose their job or custody of their children. Maybe they are nervous that friends and family will view them differently if they are on medications or attend treatment.
Some of these things may be true. And that’s why it is important that we continue to fight against damaging mental health stigmas. It’s hard enough already to have a mental health issue, but not being able to get help because of the fear of the repercussions makes everything so much worse. And the longer this goes on, the more long-term negative consequences are likely.
IS NORMALIZING MENTAL ILLNESS THE GOAL?
It’s clear that the stigmas surrounding mental health are detrimental. So should we be trying to eliminate them by all means necessary? Well, that’s certainly the view of some, and like with much else in the realm of medicine, the science is never settled. There is a trend nowadays toward normalizing mental health issues. It’s not uncommon to see slogans like "My (insert mental illness here) is my strength". Based on current evidence, we believe that is a step too far. This is so far in the other direction, in fact, that this attitude too can discourage seeking out proper treatments.
Specifically concerning Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), treatment resistance can be exceptionally high. This resistance may manifest in various forms, such as being reluctant to seek help, denial of an existing issue, rejection of a diagnosis, or possessing an overly critical stance towards mental health professionals. In this context, none of these characteristics are "strengths". It is crucial to comprehend that having an OCPD diagnosis does not warrant celebration or shame. Experiencing mental health issues does not make you inferior; everyone deserves love and happiness.
But we should be careful that we are moving towards acceptance and equal treatment of those with mental health concerns and not towards a society that is promoting and encouraging unwarranted mental health diagnoses. Who we are as individuals is what makes us special, not our particular set of neuroses. Talking openly about mental health is the goal, but we can’t expect strangers we meet on the street to want to hear all about everything that is causing us distress. We haven’t evolved to that point yet, and maybe we never will. But we do want to move towards a society that collectively encourages those suffering to seek out help instead of shunning and shaming them.
One last trend to be careful of is the current tendency toward self-diagnosis. A self-diagnosis in and of itself may not seem harmful, but the decisions we make based on a self-diagnosis can be. It can be frustrating, to say the least, to not have access to a mental health professional, so self-diagnosing can seem logical. But if we do this and are later presented with a different diagnosis, we can be very resistant to accepting this new information. Also, in an effort to "feel special or unique", there is a trend (most common in young people) toward self-diagnosis with the "mental illness of the week".
All hope is not lost, though. If professional help is not currently available to you and you are aware you are suffering, there are many free techniques available to you. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to choose to take better care of yourself. Although we are deeply aware that this is easier said than done, there are options. Mindfulness practice, meditation, regular exercise, eating healthy, confiding in a trusted loved one, support groups & quality sleep are fantastic places to start. None of these cost money, and none of these require professional help. And of course, you have foundations such as this to provide supplemental help.
THIS IS WHERE OUR MISSION COMES IN
“Helping to lower the stigmas surrounding mental health issues” is a core tenant of our mission statement. We believe that the help we can offer you would not be sufficient if addressing stigmas were not at the heart of the work we are doing. Although there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to OCPD or any other mental health issue for that matter, we want to do our part in making sure EVERYONE has access to treatment options. And as stigmas remain a major obstacle for many people around the world, the key to working towards this goal is removing the negative stereotypes, stigmas & shame that people experience.
Addressing this complex issue requires a systematic approach. Each country, culture & society possess unique stigmas and underlying reasons for their existence. Initiating widespread awareness is an essential first step in order to start devising appropriate solutions. Engaging in productive dialogues and fostering openness to diverse perspectives are crucial elements to facilitating progress in this regard. Individuals can contribute by consciously refraining from making hasty judgments about others and promoting empathetic understanding. Collaborative efforts to reduce stigma, enhance compassion & improve overall societal well-being are vital for fostering a harmonious global community. We hope you will join us in these efforts.
Medically Reviewed by Gary Trosclair, DMA, LCSW on March 01, 2024 | Written by Darryl Rossignol
WAYS YOU CAN HELP!
If you’d like to be a part of the solution, there are many ways you can help. An easy way to start is to just be open to allowing those people that you care about to share how they’re doing. Practicing empathy with strangers can go a long way toward making this world a better place. Taking the opportunity to spread and raise awareness is a beautiful way to be involved. And if you have the means, you can donate to your favorite mental health cause. Thank you for your support.