Stigma Of Mental Illness In Society

It’s a disorder, not a decision
In our society today, people are not coming forward to seek help with regards to mental illness due to the stigma attached. Stigma and misunderstanding surrounding mental illness is widespread across the world, no matter what race, religion or background you come from. This could potentially lead to abuse, rejection and isolation from the health care which is available for individuals who need it. In some extreme cases when individuals feel there is no help available it can contribute to suicide statistics. It is common for people who are living with a mental illness to be unaware that they are suffering from a medical condition; this is due to the lack of knowledge about various signs of mental illness. Often
How are individuals supposed to reach out for help if this is the case? There are many reasons why people suffering with depression or other mental illnesses do not feel able to come forward for medical help. One mental health organisation states:
“Society in general has stereotyped views about mental illness and how it affects people. Many believe that people with mental illness are violent and dangerous, when in fact they are more at risk of being attacked or harming themselves than harming other people.”(1) In my opinion, society plays a massive role in creating stigma and discrimination that is attached to mental health. People often make assumptions based on an individual’s behaviour when they are suffering from a mental illness. The biggest problem attached to mental health sufferers being discriminated against, is that the wider society does not have the knowledge and understanding to accept mental illness sufferers as part of the community so, to make life easier for themselves, unintentionally isolate the weaker
According to mentalhealth.org:
“Many people’s problems are made worse by the stigma and discrimination they experience from society, but also from families, teacher, friends and employers.”(3)
Approaching your family with regards to suffering from a mental illness is one of the biggest fears someone has due to the possibility of rejection or judgement from their family. The majority of people who are suffering from mental health keep it to themselves - due to this fear of judgement and embarrassment from people around them. Worries always seem exacerbated when not shared with other as they are continuously playing on your mind.
Early intervention has been medically proven to ensure a healthier recovery. If you knew of someone in your family or friendship group suffering would you intervene?
It is proven that the earlier someone who is experiencing the symptoms of psychosis gets treatment, the better they recover. A number of research studies have reported that the longer people go without having treatment, the harder it is to start the process of recovery. Early intervention services were designed to give people quick and easy access to treatment when they first become unwell.