The Genetics Debate

There is a lot of back and forth about whether or not mental health issues can be considered hereditary. My own opinion on the matter is yes, some mental health issues have a genetic cause. But that shouldn't be considered the ONLY cause. Many other factors are at play. Usually if an issue runs in your family, it can mean that you have a greater predisposition to it, but you may not see any symptoms until something triggering happens in your life.

When I was growing up my mom never mentioned her battles with depression or her father's battle. When she finally did tell me about it she said, "I didn't want you guys to inherit my bad genes." That was hard to hear because she shouldn't have had to feel that way. I think she knows now that it's okay to talk about her struggles. But her fear of talking to my sister and I is what started to raise my awareness of the stigma around the topic.

If you are a parent, I want you to know that it is okay to talk to your kids about mental health and you shouldn't feel like you have let them down by passing on your genes. Everyone's chemical makeup is different and they are going to have their own experiences with it and the more you talk about it the less taboo it becomes for them and the younger generation as a whole.

An Interesting Read On Stigma

I was reading up on some mental health blogs and came across this post that discusses the stigma associated with mental health on the professional level. She talks about how even doctors can suffer from "mental health stigma" and her experiences dealing with that along her journey.

I can relate with her a bit. When I first went to talk to a doctor, it did not go well and he made me feel ashamed and even like I was lying. It turned me away from seeking any other kind of professional help for at least a year.

I think this is a good example of how much more work we can do to try and decrease that stigma.

Check out the blog post here

In The News Again

This article is an interesting read. It covers the topic of mental health services on college campuses. More colleges and universities are recognizing the need for these services but taking action is costing the students more money. Overall though, it's great that institutions are seeing this need and realizing the positive outcomes that can come from providing adequate services. I think it does a good job of raising awareness and also touches on the stigma associated with mental health over the years and how it affects students' use of these services.

Here's a quick figure from the article in case you don't have time to read the whole thing. 

Photo Credit: The Wall Street Journal

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.