There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health. Many sufferers view mental illnesses as a sign of weakness. This is one reason why many do not tell others they are suffering or reach out for early treatment.
Mental health is considered a taboo subject in society. It is rarely mentioned on TV or in magazines unless a group of people have committed suicide in a short space of time or if a celebrity commis suicide. Every time a tragedy like this occurs, people promise to talk more openly about mental health more, but these promises are rarely followed up.
People seem to have an idea that people with mental illnesses are violent and more likely to commit a crime. However, they are more likely to be the victim of a crime or hurt themselves then hurt others.
Sufferers of mental illnesses may be told by others to "Just get on with it" or asked "Are you still using that excuse?". This kind of discrimination needs to be stopped. People wouldn't tell someone with a physical illness to "Get over it" so why do they feel it is acceptable to say the same to someone suffering a mental illness? I have been on the receiving end of comments like these a couple of times and it infuriates me! Why do people disregard mental illnesses? It's obviously because they are not educated in mental health enough, something which needs to be changed.
Sufferers of mental illnesses are less likely to find work, be in a steady, long-term relationship, live in decent housing or be socially integrated into mainstream society. This is because society stereotypes people with mental illnesses. The media has not helped, with many people being portrayed as being unable to look after themselves or evil. This is not the case. Many people living with a mental illness are doing just that, they are living. Many are in work/education and live independently.
There seems to be a belief that you should not suffer from depression if you have a house, a car, a good job, good grades or if your family life is good. Depression is an illness, just like diabetes. It can affect anyone at any point in their life. As recently as last week, I heard someone on a TV show ask "Why was he (Robin Williams) depressed? He was so talented and had loads of money". Unfortunately this was a typical view when Robin Williams died during the summer. This comes from lack of education in mental health.
The stigma surrounding mental health would soon disappear if there was adequate teaching on the subject. If we start teaching basics about mental health in schools, the next generation would then grow up understanding more about the topic and be less likely to stigmatise sufferers of mental illnesses.
Mental health is considered a taboo subject in society. It is rarely mentioned on TV or in magazines unless a group of people have committed suicide in a short space of time or if a celebrity commis suicide. Every time a tragedy like this occurs, people promise to talk more openly about mental health more, but these promises are rarely followed up.
People seem to have an idea that people with mental illnesses are violent and more likely to commit a crime. However, they are more likely to be the victim of a crime or hurt themselves then hurt others.
Sufferers of mental illnesses may be told by others to "Just get on with it" or asked "Are you still using that excuse?". This kind of discrimination needs to be stopped. People wouldn't tell someone with a physical illness to "Get over it" so why do they feel it is acceptable to say the same to someone suffering a mental illness? I have been on the receiving end of comments like these a couple of times and it infuriates me! Why do people disregard mental illnesses? It's obviously because they are not educated in mental health enough, something which needs to be changed.
Sufferers of mental illnesses are less likely to find work, be in a steady, long-term relationship, live in decent housing or be socially integrated into mainstream society. This is because society stereotypes people with mental illnesses. The media has not helped, with many people being portrayed as being unable to look after themselves or evil. This is not the case. Many people living with a mental illness are doing just that, they are living. Many are in work/education and live independently.
There seems to be a belief that you should not suffer from depression if you have a house, a car, a good job, good grades or if your family life is good. Depression is an illness, just like diabetes. It can affect anyone at any point in their life. As recently as last week, I heard someone on a TV show ask "Why was he (Robin Williams) depressed? He was so talented and had loads of money". Unfortunately this was a typical view when Robin Williams died during the summer. This comes from lack of education in mental health.
The stigma surrounding mental health would soon disappear if there was adequate teaching on the subject. If we start teaching basics about mental health in schools, the next generation would then grow up understanding more about the topic and be less likely to stigmatise sufferers of mental illnesses.