stigma
People with mental illness represent one of the most deeply stigmatized groups in our culture. Learn more about it here.
People of Colour and Mental Illness: Stigma and Culture
**This is a paper I did for a college course.**Introduction In the current society, mental illnesses are not viewed in a positive light. There are stigmas for each diagnosis. These stigmas, defined as “a mark of shame or discredit, or an identifying mark or characteristic” (Merriam-Webster), affect many people, and depending on a person’s identity, the stigmas may be more intrusive. When it comes to people of colour who suffer from mental illness, the layers of how difficult it is to live a decent life become deeper and more complex. People of colour have to learn to navigate what it means to be non-white and struggling with their mental health. To break this down even more into gender, those who identify as men and those who have to identify as women have different levels of acceptability. In comparison to white people of either gender who are more likely to be accepted and more likely to be able to access professional help, the struggles that mentally ill people of colour are also tied into cultures. The research will define mental illness as “any of a broad range of medical conditions (such as major depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, or panic disorder) that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning and cause marked distress or disability and that are typically associated with a disruption in normal thinking, feeling, mood, behavior, interpersonal interactions, or daily functioning” (Merriam-Webster). This paper will not only explore how people of colour address their mental illnesses, it will also address how non-people of colour and people of colour without mental illnesses perceive them.
By Elizabeth Marx8 years ago in Psyche
#Project I Am Not Ashamed
Welcome everyone, to Project I Am Not Ashamed. I created this project for one simple reason: breaking the mental health stigma, one person at a time. I found that creating awareness and education on social media can be effective, but many times we are “preaching to the choir.” To break the stigma, we need to start small and educate the general public by outing ourselves, coming out of hiding and doing this as a team and as a community.
By Ross Trowbridge8 years ago in Psyche
Recognising the Signs of a Suicidal Person
September 17th 2017, exactly ten days after my birthday, I lay crumpled on the floor in so much agonising pain because I did not now how I would make it through the news that my friend had just hung himself. As someone who has endured the torment of depression, anxiety and bulimia, it was something I struggled for a long time to avoid myself too. Three months later, I found myself travelling in an ambulance, alone, at 1AM towards the hospital because I had swallowed almost 100 pills. There were many signs, such blatantly obvious signs that people should have picked up on, or maybe they did, but chose to ignore them. You see, nobody really wants to die, they want an end to their suffering and sometimes it seems to become the only way out that people can see. Its the better option to some, rather than merely existing day to day paralysed by your own mind.
By Elle White 8 years ago in Psyche
Identifying with the Monster
I knew I didn't fit from a very young age. Later, therapists would tell me I'd suffered from mental illness since childhood, that the way I left my body to live inside my own imagination was a clear sign of a hurting and unhappy child. Perhaps the other children (and even some adults) picked up on that, or perhaps they could smell the queerness on me like fresh blood, but whatever it was, the result was the same.
By C. B. Blanchard8 years ago in Psyche
Should Mental Illness Be Treated the Same as a Physical Illness?
The short answer: Yes. Please allow me to persuade you to agree with me. The Long Answer: Mental illness affects an astounding (and increasing) number of people across North America. 1 in 5 people in any given year in Canada will experience a mental health or addiction problem. By the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, ONE HALF have or have had a mental illness (1) . These numbers are absolutely insane and cannot go ignored. Lately I have noticed employers and family friends treating individuals with mental disorders improperly, and I have a goal to fix that habit. I'm going to prove the above statement by first allowing you all to see just how horrible living with a mental disorder really is - and then justify why it should be treated just as if the individual had a physical ailment.
By Lorah Catherine8 years ago in Psyche
Beating the Stigma
I will no longer allow my mental illness to define me. Being labeled as mentally ill has the potential to create difficulties in many ways. But giving in to the stigma behind mental illness, makes things worse for those who are already suffering. I hope that one day our society will be more accepting of those suffering from a mental illness. As a woman struggling with mental illness, it is only one small part of the many facets of my personality. I have a life story, a loving family and a personality that is separate from my diagnoses.
By Lisa Michelle8 years ago in Psyche
Me, Myself, & The World
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Interesting. I wonder how many words a feeling is worth. Some days I feel like the colours outside are a little more dull than bright. On those days my coffee usually tastes really bland and I don't really have an appetite for breakfast. This usually brings forward drag your feet movements as if I'm stalling getting to my destination and the never escaping feeling of running and hiding under the covers in my bed. I would love to tell you that this passes and I eventually snap out of this zombie like state - but that would mean that I have this all figured out which to both of our luck I do not.
By Chelsea Perron8 years ago in Psyche
The Black Stigma
I was born to two wonderful, loving parents. I am truly grateful for that. I used to make it a point to break every stereotype that was thrown at me. For example, I would style my hair a different way, listen to a different kind of music, make friends that were mostly white, and push myself to talk a certain kind of way. I would get told when I talked to adults, "You're so proper," and "You're not like those others kids." They never truly said it, but I always knew what they meant.
By Tianna Brianne8 years ago in Psyche
