An estimated one in five people will be diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their life. Maybe it will be a friend, or a loved one, or the person next to you on the bus.
Maybe it will be you.
Nobody knows for sure what causes mental illness; the best-educated theories point to genetics, hormones, chemistry, trauma, medical conditions, and stress, or a combination thereof. But what we do know is that a person who has a mental illness is not a weak person, or a person of poor character; they are not lacking in intellect, and they did not cause their illness.
A mental illness is just that—an illness. But it’s a serious one. It requires treatment, and the sooner the better. The good news is that it is 100-percent treatable, manageable, and survivable.
So why are so many people who have it dying? They don’t have to. We can help.
There’s a wall. You can’t see it. But you can sense it. It permeates the space around us. It’s the look on someone’s face, and the words used by strangers; it’s the portrayals in media, and it’s the well-meaning but misinformed pep talks from family and friends. It’s even the thoughts in our own heads. It’s stigma. And it creates a barrier as real as a physical one.
A diagnosis of a mental illness comes loaded with biases and assumptions about what it means to have it, and about the person who has it. The person may be perceived as less intelligent, incapable of managing their affairs, or even dangerous; these perceptions are rooted in stigma.
“Stigma” has been defined as a mark of shame, or disgrace. At its best it’s simply ignorance and fear of the unknown. But at its worst, it’s life threatening, because it keeps people at odds with the rest of society and it becomes a barrier that prevents them from reaching out for help.
For the person it’s directed at, it represents a battle. It’s a battle to be seen and heard. A battle to be understood.
And, sadly, it’s often a battle to live.
January 31 is Bell Let’s Talk Day, a day of support for mental health. Its aim is to end stigma. So, let’s talk. Let’s tear down the walls and keep the conversation going. Maybe together we can help someone win their battle.