I am so sick of mental health stigma. I encountered it again this week in both the emergency room and on the psych unit. On the psych unit, I was almost assaulted by 7 security guards because I told the charge nurse I would be filing a complaint on her. Thankfully, the guards knew they had no right to touch me and didn’t want to get themselves sued. Now I have to begin the process of starting a very serious complaint against that charge nurse. I’ve already found out I will be backed up by the mental health consumer organization which I volunteer for, which is great.
On the psych unit, it wasn’t much different. Most of the staff treats patients like trash. I was screamed at for suggesting a nurse write down phone message in the future. When I went off to my room to be alone, I was told I was being stubborn by choosing to not be around people. Ugh! You don’t know me or my coping skills! When I’m in a bad mood, I’m not a very nice person to be around and I don’t want to take it out on anyone else. I also need s huge amount of time to calm myself down. Sulking off to my room, crying, and taking a nap were the best things for me to do.
The most disturbing thing happened later that day. Staff knew I was keeping a journal and documenting things. I returned from a meeting with my case manager to find my room had been searched, my journal read, and some pages torn out! It sucks for them as I remember exactly what I’d written down and just rewrote it, but talk about crossing the line. All because I was a psychiatric patient, the staff thought these things were perfectly fine to do.
View Comments
I am just curious for I don't understand what is this mental health stigma. I don't want to offend you. I just want to confirm if this is less compared to a psychopath. You are under treatment, I know it. But as if no member of your family or relative is watching you. You are all alone.
No offense taken. A psychopath is someone who has no empathy or feelings for other people. I have bipolar disorder which means I have wild mood swings. I also have a lot of anxiety.
I live with my mother right now, and will live with my fiance when I get married, as its not good for me to live alone. I also have many wonderful friends and support people to help me.
Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma. Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart. When a person is labelled by their illness they are seen as part of a stereotyped group. Negative attitudes create prejudice which leads to negative actions and discrimination.
Stigma brings experiences and feelings of:
shame
blame
hopelessness
distress
misrepresentation in the media
reluctance to seek and/or accept necessary help
Families are also affected by stigma, leading to a lack of support. For mental health professionals, stigma means that they themselves are seen as abnormal, corrupt or evil, and psychiatric treatments are often viewed with suspicion and horror.
How Teat Stigma
We all have a role in creating a mentally healthy community that supports recovery and social inclusion and reduces discrimination. Simple ways to help include:
learn and share the facts about mental health and illness
get to know people with personal experiences of mental illness
speak up in protest when friends, family, colleagues or the media display false beliefs and negative stereotypes
offer the same support to people when they are physically or mentally unwell
don't label or judge people with a mental illness, treat them with respect and dignity as you would anyone else
don’t discriminate when it comes to participation, housing and employment
talk openly of your own experience of mental illness. The more hidden mental illness remains, the more people continue to believe that it is shameful and needs to be concealed.