FACSAFoundation.org Shattering The Silence Tour Documentary Project | Page 26
What If People Treated Physical Illness Like Mental Illness?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/13/mental-illnessphysical-i_n_6145156.html
It's no secret there's a serious stigma attached to mental illness. According to the
CDC, only 25 percent of people with mental health issues feel that other people are
compassionate and sympathetic toward them. It's a shameful statistic when one in
four people have been touched by some form of mental illness.
Experts say that part of the problem when it comes to criticizing someone's mental
health is a lack of empathy and knowledge about the ailments. Yet, despite the
staggering evidence and rhetoric aimed at helping people understand, many people
still don't get that being diagnosed with a mental illness isn't something that's in
their control -- just like having the flu, or food poisoning, or cancer isn't in their
control.
In an effort to reframe the conversation, artist Robot Hugs created a comic that
displays what it would be like if we discussed physical illnesses in the same way
we do mental illnesses. Take a look at the graphic below. Makes you think, doesn't
Do you have a story about mental illness you'd like to share? Email
[email protected], or give us a call at (860) 348-3376, and
you can record your story in your own words. Please be sure to include your name
and phone number.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline.