Stigmas and Stereotypes

Firstly, I want to point out that the words stigma and stereotype don't exactly have the same definition. A stereotype is a simplified, overgeneralized opinion formed about a person, group of people, or idea. It can be positive or negative and is generally widely accepted by society. A stigma is when someone views a person or idea in a negative way because of a certain characteristic(s). Essentially, it is a negative stereotype.

Mental illnesses have become such a taboo topic in today's society because of the stigmas associated with them. And it is often one of the biggest reasons people don't seek the help they need. Recipients of a mental illness diagnosis can often be called crazy, lose friends (or family), be seen as unstable, etc. and dealing with that can be almost as hard as the mental health issue itself. It can influence the way the person sees themselves. They start to feel that they are the illness rather than a person. It can dehumanize them.

So what do you do if you're being stigmatized by the people around you?

1. The number one thing is to still get the treatment you need. This is incredibly important. Treatment can help you handle the stresses. It can show you that someone cares and you aren't alone. 
2. Which brings me to the point of having a support group or community. Whether that's your friends or family, or others going through the same thing. It's important not to isolate yourself and to know that you're not alone.
3. Don't let your mental health or the stigmas associated with it define who you are. You are so many other things than just depression or just anxiety or just ADHD or just addiction. The list can go on and on.

Now, how do we begin to decrease the stigma?

1. Most importantly, become educated. The more you know, the easier it is to talk about.
2. Don't be afraid to start a conversation. The more mental health is talked about, the less taboo and stigmatized it becomes. And people begin to feel more okay about openly discussing it.
3. Language. Start reflecting on some of the language you use. For example, if someone is sad, don't immediately call them depressed. Or if someone is having mood swings, don't use the terms bipolar or crazy. This can tie into number one as well.

The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) for mental disorders is constantly being updated but is typically only used by licensed psychologists or researchers. A link to a more publicly available list is below:

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/

This provides some information about various mental health disorders in order to become better educated.

Although this focuses on the stigmas around mental health, there are many other issues that can be applied. LGBTQIA individuals, the genders in general, social class, ethnicity, etc. I think it's important to recognize the stigmas and reflect on how we can begin to decrease them.