Why I Fight to Destigmatize Mental Illness
You are not mad. I am not unstable. They are not crazy.
It’s easy to think of derogatory terms when considering a person who suffers from mental illness because our society tends to associate negative emotions with something that is wrong or dangerous. Additionally, mental illness tends to be overlooked and viewed as unimportant.
Though we have come quite a long way in destigmatizing mental illness and supporting those who suffer, we still have a long way to go. I know this because I suffer from mental illness, and I’ve seen evidence my whole life that proves many people do not take mental health seriously. My experiences have taught me that many people view people with mental illness as unstable or inferior.
As I lay out personal experiences that define our society’s stigma of mental health, I’ll also deconstruct the stigma so we can all better contribute to normalizing mental illness and prioritizing mental health. So, here's how to reduce the stigma of mental illness!
Mental Health Blog Disclaimer
I am not a medical professional, therapist, or mental healthcare professional. The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only, comes from my own personal experiences, and may be read, interpreted, and practiced at your own risk. Do not rely on this information as a substitute to medical advice or treatment from a healthcare professional.
Destigmatizing Mental Illness
Stigma: People with mental illness are crazy, inferior, and should be ashamed of themselves.
During most of my childhood, I saw a therapist. I kept this secret for a long time because I was ashamed. When I visited my therapist, I noticed that the other people in the building were different. Some of them talked to themselves, threw temper tantrums in the waiting room, or looked like they didn’t take good care of themselves. At school, people referred to the kids with severe or obvious mental illnesses as special, retarded, and crazy. No one talked openly about mental health, therapy, or medication except for my therapist. Therefore, as a very young child, I developed two separate and contradicting negative views of my situation.
I viewed the people in my therapist’s building who were different as inferior to me. I believed that I didn’t belong in therapy with the crazy people.
Since I was required to go there, I also must have been crazy and different. This belief trickled down into how I later explained my mental health to friends. I referred to my antidepressants as my crazy pills.
Destigmatize Mental Illness: People with mental illness are normal people experiencing human emotions and do not need to be ashamed.
Dear Younger Me,
You find yourself "superior" to the people who show signs of mental illness because the people in your everyday environment have decided that people with mental illness are less than the rest. However, this is simply not true. Those who do not suffer from mental illness and those who suffer terribly from mental illness are equal. While some people experience negative emotions on a deeper level than others, you’re all still humans experiencing human emotions. No one needs to be ashamed for feeling negative emotions, having a mental illness, or treating mental illness. Additionally, those with mental illness are capable and perfectly sane.
Love,
Older Me
Stigma: Taking medication for mental illness is wrong and should not be normalized.
On a Friday in sixth grade, I packed my antidepressants in my backpack before I went to school because that night, I was having a sleepover at my friend’s house. Somehow, perhaps when taking books out of my backpack, my antidepressants fell out onto the floor of the classroom.
My teacher held up the pills and announced to the entire class in an accusatory and angry tone, “I found someone’s drugs on the floor today. Who brought drugs to school?”
My stomach dropped to the floor with shame, but my fists clenched with anger and defensiveness. I stood up and claimed them.
My teacher yelled, “You are in big trouble! Why would you think it’s okay to bring pills to school?”
I sighed and let out my secret. “Those pills are Zoloft. They are antidepressants for my anxiety. I am going to my friend’s house tonight, so I had to pack them.”
I was sent to the principal’s office and punished for having antidepressants at school. A twelve-year-old girl who suffered from anxiety and panic attacks was chastised for taking medicine to help her cope. A classroom full of twelve-year-olds was taught by that teacher that adults will get angry at kids who have pills for a mental illness.
Destigmatize Mental Illness: All treatment for mental illness is okay and should be normalized.
Dear Younger Me,
Although having medication at school might go against the rulebook, the way your teacher handled finding your antidepressants was wrong. Your teacher embarrassed you for something you do not need to be ashamed of and taught the kids in that classroom that having medication for a mental illness is punishable. All treatment for mental illness is okay and should be normalized.
Love,
Older Me
Stigma: People with mental illness are dangerous, unstable, and to blame for their illness.
Occasionally I would forget to take my Zoloft, which resulted in extreme irritability, mood swings, and angry outbursts the following day.
After one angry episode in high school, my Dad told me, “This is why you have to take your medicine. When you don’t take it, you become angry, mean, and unstable. If you didn’t take your medicine, you wouldn’t have any friends.”
My Dad didn’t know any better when he told me these things. Doctors did not explain mental illnesses and their treatments very well at the time. He was trying to protect me and others. But I believed him when he told me I was mean and unstable. I truly believed no one would like me if I did not treat my mental illness and that it was my fault I naturally had an angry, anxious, and moody personality.
Destigmatize Mental Illness: People with mental illness are harmless and are not to blame for their illness.
Dear Younger Me,
First of all, the mood swings you experience when you forget to take your Zoloft are caused by withdrawals from the pill your body has become dependent on. Regardless of the cause of your negative emotions and actions, you are not to blame for your mental illness. You are not mean or unstable. I have compassion for you because what you feel is real, uncomfortable, and challenging to cope with. I am proud of you for treating your mental illness because treatment will allow you to cope better and feel happier. But your treatment and your mental illness do not define you. You’re wonderful with and without medication.
Love,
Older Me
Stigma: Being mentally or emotionally unwell isn’t as serious as being physically unwell.
One week during the summer before my junior year of college, my boyfriend at the time and I were going through a rough patch. I was so sad and anxious about our relationship that I wasn’t capable of going to work at my engineering internship without crying or having a panic attack. One night, I told my Dad that I needed to stay home from work the next day because I was mentally unwell. My Dad told me that wasn’t an acceptable reason to skip work, not in the real world. Instead, I should toughen up, go to work, and hide my emotions.
I went to work, but I cried at my desk all morning. I was so anxious that I couldn’t eat, my heart was racing, and I felt short of breath. I told my boss the truth. I was very upset, and I needed a mental health day.
My boss looked shocked like he had never heard of such a thing. He told me to stop crying; I didn’t need to cry. Though let me go home, he said that normally people only take off work when they are actually sick and physically unwell.
Destigmatize Mental Illness: Feeling mentally unwell, emotionally unwell, or physically unwell can all be equally debilitating.
Dear Younger Me,
Your emotional and mental states are absolutely just as important as your physical state. Your emotions are valid. You deserve rest, care, and the opportunity to recharge your mental state so you can feel happy again. Mental illnesses should be treated like physical illnesses, as both require care and treatment. You should not be chastised for healthily expressing your emotions. Crying is okay. Feeling emotionally or mentally unwell is also okay and is not something you should have to hide.
Love,
Older Me
We all have a lot of work to do if we want to destigmatize and normalize mental illness. We can reduce the stigma of mental illness by educating ourselves and others, speaking up, including others, and validating others’ feelings. Let’s fight together!
It’s okay to not be okay!
