What’s this all about?

stig·ma

noun. 

1. a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.

Stigma is the biggest problem facing the mentally ill today. Stigma is the reason people don’t come forward to get help, it is the reason the people do not follow through with treatment plans, it is the reason insurance companies don’t want to pay for services, it is the reason for the shortage of professionals in behavioral medicine, and it is the reason legislators continue to cut funding for badly needed resources.

Stigma means that people believe the face of mental illness is a wide-eyed, drooling psychopath that is a danger to society.

Not true. The face of mental illness looks like your spouse, your significant other, your child, your parent, your sibling, your coworker, your neighbor, your classmate, your family member, and your fellow church-goer. We are everywhere, hiding in plain sight – many too afraid to reach out for desperately needed help. Too many suffer in hopeless, painful silence.

Can you imagine getting sick and being afraid to seek medical help? Can you imagine being afraid to tell your family about your illness because you fear they may ostracize you. Or worse, not believe you? Can you imagine becoming ill and those in your life try to persuade you not to take your medicine? Can you imagine keep your illness a secret because you worry people will be afraid of you? Can you imagine being ashamed of your illness? Can you imagine being told that the illness is your fault?

This is the devastating effect of stigma. And this is why it has to stop. Now.