In an attempt to alleviate the stigma that surrounds mental illness, governments put in place an awareness program. Through advertisements, people are encouraged to reach out to each other, talk about their feelings, or ask their friends if they are doing okay.
A recent episode got me thinking about what the awareness of mental illness is and the stigma attached to it really means. Recently, a person walked through the mall naked, which was indeed a source of chuckles. This incident prompted people to post pictures on Facebook and an elected politician to make the comment “Pics or it didn’t happen.”
Everyone became aware of the mistake made by this person on that day. Now this person has to live with the fact that the internet is unforgiving. Those pictures will be there forever. Is this the stigma of mental illness that should be promoted? I am sure that anyone who posted a picture would not have done so if they were truly aware of the effects that this type of stigma has on any type of mental illness.
How do we overcome any type of stigma attached to mental illness? Self reflection would be a good place to start in the journey to awareness. Have you ever felt “down in the dumps,” anxious, insecure, or suspicious of other people’s actions? Have you ever had trouble sleeping, or lacked the energy to get through a day without pushing yourself? Now magnify that feeling by weeks, months, or years. Just think about it. What if it’s happening to you?
To continue the journey through self reflection, ask yourself what your attitude is towards drug addiction, homelessness, and social welfare. Do you ever related some of this to laziness or a lack of ambition? Have you ever watched a friend, neighbour, or a relative struggle? What would you do if someone took a picture of you when you were in distress? You could have reacted to something in a way that did not fit within the bounds of “social norms.” How would you feel if it was plastered all over the internet, forever?
Giving thought to those and other questions is only part of the journey. Self reflection can simply be defined as introspection which allows you to grow through analysis of your behaviour.
As you travel further into your journey towards awareness, you might come across the “what ifs.” What if I couldn’t sleep? What if I got so depressed or anxious that I could no longer hold down a job? What if suicidal thoughts kept popping into my head? What if I became dependent on drugs or developed schizophrenia? What if I had to depend on the support of others to survive?
Now comes the “Ah ha” moment of your journey. This is the time that you realize that depression, anxiety, drug addiction, as well as many other mental illnesses, can be so debilitating that a person is unable to sustain themself with even the necessities of life. You realize, also, that while services are available, not everyone knows how to access them or is aware that help is even needed. If you do realize help is needed you then become aware of the ridiculous wait times for any type of mental health services. You also learn that mental illness can affect people from all walks of life.
As your awareness grows, self reflections might once again creep into your thoughts. Is “Pics or it didn’t happen” as portrayed by an elected MLA the right attitude? Is this the way we think? Can we now relate to the problems faced by mentally ill people? How can we change?
You may think that being aware is all that is being asked of you through the advertising campaign. It is not! The hardest leg of the journey is becoming an advocate. Examples of being an advocate means offering to buy a homeless person a cup of coffee and giving that person a little time and conversation. It means listening to the confused speech, knowing that, somewhere in the conversation, there is a cry for help. Instead of a glare of disdain, it means looking at a person living on the streets and wondering about his/her story rather than worrying about how they present themselves. It means fighting for adequate housing for those who are struggling. It means taking a stand against any type of abuse. It means fighting for funding for support programs for the mentally ill. I could go on and on.
Most of all, awareness is about understanding, acceptance, compassion, and a willingness to change your way of thinking about the stigma of mental illness.
-- Fran Millar
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
