1 / 19

Stigmas in Mental Illness

Stigmas in Mental Illness. What is a stigma?. What is a stigma?. An attempt to label a particular group of people as less worthy of respect than others A mark of shame, disgrace or disapproval that results in discrimination

gunnar
Download Presentation

Stigmas in Mental Illness

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Stigmas in Mental Illness

  2. What is a stigma?

  3. What is a stigma? • An attempt to label a particular group of people as less worthy of respect than others • A mark of shame, disgrace or disapproval that results in discrimination • Not just matter of using the wrong word or action – its about disrespect

  4. What are some stigmas about mental illness?

  5. Mental Illness Stigmas • It’s the fault of the individual • It’s a sign of weakness • They’re crazy/psycho/out of their minds • They belong in the loony bin • Its all in their heads • Only quitters attempt suicide • Your choosing to be sad/angry/messed up/ different • They need to get over it • They must be stupid/ retarted • They’re all dangerous and should be locked away • They’re not sick because nothing is physically wrong with them

  6. Why are stigmas a problem for those dealing with Mental Illness?

  7. Why are stigmas a problem? • Inadequate insurance coverage for mental health services • Fear, mistrust, and violence against people living with mental illness and their families • Family and friends turning their backs on people with mental illness • Prejudice and discrimination • Discrimination against those with mental illness can keep them from seeking treatment

  8. Discrimination and seeking help • 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental disorder • Estimates indicate that nearly 2/3s of all people with a diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment • Lack of knowledge, rejection of friends, and discrimination are a few reasons why people may not seek treatment

  9. Discrimination against people with mental illness violates their rights and denies themopportunities • People with mental illnesses often experience discrimination in the workplace, education, housing, and healthcare

  10. How Can We Fight Stigma?

  11. Put the person before the illness – use phrases such “person with schizophrenia”. Never use terms like crazy, lunatic, psycho, retarded, and correct people who do so 1. Use respectful language:

  12. Include mental illness in discussions Spread understanding that these are illnesses like any other 2. Talk/ Teach about it:

  13. Create awareness by writing letters to newspapers and lawmakers. Speak out and challenge stereotypes portrayed in the media. Take it upon yourself to inform your community about the truth about mental illness 3. Become an Advocate:

  14. http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2012/08/10/cnn-ideas-elyn-saks-ted.cnnhttp://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2012/08/10/cnn-ideas-elyn-saks-ted.cnn

  15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUaXFlANojQ&lr=1

  16. Resources • NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) – nami.org • Gaining-insight.com • Bringchange2mind.org

More Related