stigma

People with mental illness represent one of the most deeply stigmatized groups in our culture. Learn more about it here.

Does Being Crazy Make You a Great Artist?
Crazy is not a technical term. It simply means that one day I'd like to strip naked and show my tatas to the moon. And that's not being poetic. I really want to do that some misty Harry Potter night. But bipolar, ADHD, and anxiety are technical terms with real meanings. I won't go into that now. That's another article. This article questions the fact that crazy and all the technical terms can bring out the Poe and the Basquiat in us all. But as soon as we are medicated and feeling balanced, we become average nerds attempting poetry that sucks. So does crazy make us artistic geniuses and do drugs, the illegal candy, make us Warhol.
By Kimm Smith8 years ago in Psyche
The Lack of Federal Funding for Mental Health and the Criminalization of Mental Illness
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that approximately 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness and approximately 1 in 25 U.S. adults live with a serious mental illness that “interferes with or limits one or more major life activities” (Serious Mental Illness Among Adults, 2015). It is estimated that approximately two million individuals experiencing a severe mental illness are annually booked into jails. The mass incarceration of mentally ill individuals in our country is deeply problematic; mentally ill inmates struggle to receive decent care and treatment both inside and outside of prison walls. A lack of federal funding for mental health institutions and the prison expansion that occurred throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s contributed to the criminalization of mental illness.
By Max Hutton8 years ago in Psyche
I Am Not My Diagnosis
Sometimes, us as humans forget that others are humans too. We will see someone with a broken leg, we will say that we are so sorry and hope they are better soon. But when we hear someone has a mental illness, we will say that they are just attention seeking and that they should get over it. Outcasted. For what? That their minds work in a different way?
By C.J. Dalton8 years ago in Psyche
A Great Thing Called Misophonia
“Misophonia, literally ‘hatred of sound.’” I am 15-years-old, I’ve had this issue for as long as I have been able to eat. I could blame it on my dad and I wouldn’t be wrong. My dad has misophonia too, not as badly as I do, but he is the best person for spreading it to me — Thanks... Misophonia, for all you animal-like eaters, isn’t just a “get over it” situation. It’s more like “if you tell me to ignore your disgusting moralless habit one more time, I’ll have no other choice except to beat you with your own food.”
By Cat Zukowski8 years ago in Psyche
X and Y
Imagine a world full of numbers, geometry, shapes... where you wake up in a box and you go to sleep in a box Imagine... Where 2+2 makes more sense than playing with a toy car... simply because a toy car will just give you an abstract ending.
By Stef P.8 years ago in Psyche
Message from an Introvert
For most people, the word "introvert" refers to someone who is shy and submissive; someone who is afraid of everything and pretty much a loner. However, being an introvert myself, I can assure you that there is much more to it than that (kind of).
By Nixaphira8 years ago in Psyche
Let’s Talk About Stigma
Everyone knows that there is a stigma that comes along with having any sort of mental illness. According to the dictionary, stigma means, “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.”
By Tayler Hammond8 years ago in Psyche
I Bet I'm Suffering More Than You!
Here's a trend I've noticed in people my age: they treat mental illness like it's some sort of competition. For reference, I'm in my early twenties.
By Kendra Felicity Wheeler8 years ago in Psyche
Mental Health — Why Don't We Talk About It?
I have noticed that no one actually talks about mental health. The Mental Health Foundation statistics stated that "two in three people report having experienced a mental health problem in their lifetime." Why is it that so many people suffer but we rarely hear about it? Wouldn't this mean that our mental health issues would disintegrate and get worse if we aren't open about them?
By Jade Dillion8 years ago in Psyche
The Dark Side of My Brain
I'm 26 and I've been dealing with depression, anxiety, and BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) for 20 years. Wrap your head around that for a second. I've been told a million times, "Oh honey you're young, you'll grow out of it," or "Please, you are entirely top young to have that many problems already." Well let me tell you something. Yes I am young, but I'm a 20 year vet of multiple invisible illnesses. Please don't tell me I'm too young for life to be rough. Please don't sit there and undermine my mental illnesses just because you want to be small minded about it.
By Bethany Winters8 years ago in Psyche
Media Stigma and Mental Illness
Mental illness is hard enough but there is a stigma attached to it that makes it way more difficult for those that are suffering than it needs to be.
By Lexi Merrick8 years ago in Psyche
Borderline Personality Disorder: The Embodiment of Mental Health Stereotypes
"Borderline Personality Disorder" (BPD) came about in past medical terms to define a person that was borderline between neurotic mental health problems and psychosis. However, in newer medicine, this is no longer the way most mental health is spoken about. BPD is a broad diagnosis with individuals suffering from it experiencing a number of different symptoms that are individual to that person.
By Eliza Marshall8 years ago in Psyche