Mesaglio 1

Daira Mesaglio

Sister Vickie Christensen

English 106L

24 June 2017

The Stigmatization of Mental Illnesses

"Don´t you think you´re exaggerating a little?", "We all have bad days" and "You just

need to think positive". These are some of the phrases we say to our family or friends when they

are in low spirits. We don´t think twice when offering these well-intended words, but as harmless

as they may seem, they carry an underlying message of naïve apathy. If we are at the receiving

end, these types of phrases can seem empty and meaningless, so how much worse can they feel

for someone who suffers from, let´s say, in this case, depression? There is a general lack of

understanding regarding mental disorders, which doesn´t help to alleviate the burden of those

who suffer them. It is the stigma of mental illness born from the lack of information that keeps

people from healing and getting help, but with proper education on the subject, that

misconception can be corrected, allowing people to understand those who experience these

disorders and the illness itself.

The root of the problem lies in why we see mental illness as something shameful. Being

diagnosed with a physiological disease like cancer, diabetes, or HIV can be difficult, but we can´t

deny our society is understanding and willing to help when someone has to bear with these type

of ailments. It´s something no one chooses so it is not embarrassing. Because we can easily see

the toll some sicknesses take on the body or because we have felt a similar kind of pain, we

understand and try to help. And it´s because of these very reasons that understanding mental
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disorders result so hard. Psychological symptoms are not always visible, and if they are, it´s

because the patient has been neglected. The symptoms vary depending on the person and illness,

and because mood, personality, and feelings are abstract, it´s difficult for everyone to understand

and relate. Irrational behavior and rash actions seem unreasonable to the naked eye if there is not

a clear source of discomfort. Nevertheless, because these manifestations vastly differ, that doesn´t

mean OCD, personality disorders, or anxiety deserve less attention. In fact, ignoring the warnings

of decreasing mental health could be just as damaging as it is ignoring any other disease. When

lives are at risk, it is illogical to draw a line and consider mental ailments as something that´s not

as important as any other sickness.

According to the World Health Organization website, on its “Mental Disorders” section,

one in four people worldwide suffers from mental disorders. But just a few actually get help,

since 76-85% and 35-50% of serious cases are untreated in low and middle-income countries and

high-income countries, respectively. A lot of people are diagnosed late in their illness, reducing

the chances of treatment success as they age. When untreated, some patients become more prone

to developing dangerous behavior that could be aimed not only at themselves but also at those

around them. If the stigmatization around psychiatric disorders dissipated, accessing mental

health services and getting proper help would be the normal course of action for those dealing

with this problem. That could become possible if more resources and education on the subject

were provided for everyone, be it classes in schools, programs, books or talks, the more the idea

that mental illnesses are not different from any other becomes normalized, the more likely the

numbers previously mentioned will decrease.

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Kristin Davis shares in NewsOK.com the story of her mother, Dawn, a successful

businesswoman and residential realtor who was diagnosed with schizophrenic-related paranoia

and bipolar disorder at age 65.

On her article, "Oklahoma Advocate: Sharing Your Story Can Help End Stigma about

Mental Illness" Davis bitterly recalls that prior to that diagnosis, she had lived with her mother

disregarding the seriousness of the problem. She didn´t know what happened to Dawn when she

was little, and her family didn´t know how to approach the situation either, so the manic swings

and the anger and grief resulting from it became a regular occurrence. Dawn´s illness normally

manifests in teenagers or young adult people, so in cases like this, an early or late diagnosis can

be a deciding factor in the development and success of a treatment. Sadly, the late diagnosis took

a toll on Davis´s mother. At age 74, Dawn stopped taking her medicine, making her emotionally

vulnerable and eventually leading her to take her own life. ¨Storytelling is a powerful way to end

the stigma surrounding the brain disorders that so often take lives.¨ says Davis, ¨I encourage

others who have experienced mental illness to join me by sharing their own stories¨.

Some may argue that this isn´t an actual problem and dismiss it, claiming that investing

in education for the matter would be a waste of time and money. That´s an understandable point,

to a degree. It would be necessary to spend a considerable amount of money in order to properly

educate people with new school subjects that address the topic, anti-stigma programs, public

service announcements, correct depiction on the media, etc. However, these costs are minimal

compared to the costs we pay for not acknowledging this problem. According to the National

Alliance on Mental Illness website, on the "StigmaFree Company" section, Psychiatric disorders

cost $200 billion a year in lost productivity in the United States alone. It´s also worth mentioning

that 90% of suicides worldwide are attributed to treatable mental disorders, just like Dawn´s case.
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There could be a dramatic decrease in these numbers if people were taught about the importance

of mental health, the fact that these ailments are just as valid as any other, and that there is

nothing shameful about seeking help.

The stigmatization society places on mental illnesses is born from the lack of

understanding, fear, and the flawed stereotypes that are so well ingrained in our culture. It is not

hard to find horror movies whose main antagonist suffers from a dissociative personality disorder

or antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy); there is also an abundance of comedies that depict

characters who deal with OCD, anxiety, and depression in an erroneous, comical way. Thinking

it is all in good fun only increases the risk of people getting a late diagnosis, if they get one at all.

Because we are forced to believe by the media that those problems are either something

inherently evil or something to laugh and not to worry about, it is easy to subconsciously

normalize these notions. Not recognizing this as a negative message only strengthens the

possibility of adverse effects that our society currently endures. In this case, a better approach to

teaching people about psychiatric disorders would be the correct depiction of it in the media. That

way, not only would it be easier to help correct information reach everyone, but would also help

people learn to understand and empathize.

Sadly, because of fallacious information, or its lack thereof, many people with

undiagnosed mental disorders feel that the only way to keep going is to silently neglect the

symptoms. Ignoring the pain, performing daily tasks that feel like a load, enduring intrusive

thoughts, and going to work or school pretending everything is fine, becomes a routine and they

forget what was like feeling healthy. For someone who has never experienced this, it may be hard

to relate. But knowing about what these ailments entail and being willing to learn can make it
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easy to understand. Starting from this point can make the afflicted people compliant to get

treatment and can lighten their burden.

Let´s remember that one fourth of the worldwide population deals with mental illness

and most of that percentage doesn´t know what is happening to them. Feeling like you don´t have

control over your thoughts or behavior can be just as scary as not having control over your body

and it´s just as worthy of medical attention. Normalizing the idea that getting help is okay, and

that there is nothing to feel mortified for, will enable more people to lead their lives as healthy as

possible; it will make those patients know that they are not alone and that there is a way to keep

going forward without hurting.

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Works Cited

Davis, Kristin. "Oklahoma Advocate: Sharing Your Story Can Help End Stigma about Mental

Illness." NewsOK.com. NewsOK, 01 June 2017. Web. 24 June 2017.

<http://newsok.com/article/5551247>.

"Mental Disorders." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 24 June

2017. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs396/en/>.

"StigmaFree Company." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June

2017. <https://www.nami.org/stigmafreeco>.