Fighting the Stigma
Talk Openly About Mental Health
Tell friends and family about what you are going through. Your story might be the push that encourages others to ask for help.
Educate Yourself And Others
Find opportunities to pass on facts and positive attitudes about people with mental health problems. If your friends, family, co-workers or even the media present information that is not true, challenge their myths and stereotypes. Let them know how their negative words and incorrect descriptions affect people with mental health problems by keeping alive the false ideas.
Be Conscious Of Language
The way we speak can affect the way other people think and speak. Don’t use hurtful or derogatory language.
Show Compassion For Those With Mental Illness
Ask people you know how they are doing. Be ready truly listen and not judge. Sometimes, people just need someone to listen to them.
Be Honest About Treatment
Fight stigma by telling people that you see a therapist and/or a psychiatrist. Normalizing self-care will help people see therapy in a positive light.
Don’t Harbor Self-Stigma
If you experience mental illness first hand, it isn’t uncommon to have internalized shame or harmful ideas surrounding mental health. Self-stigmatization, as stated by Psychology Today, can manifest in self-blame. However, ideas like depression is something to just “get over” is harmful whether you hear it from others or you it’s something you tell yourself. Admittedly, changing the way we talk to and think about ourselves can be one of the most difficult mind shifts. But it can start with small: like acknowledging to yourself “Depression is a real medical condition.”