We can reduce stigma by knowing the facts. Educate yourself about mental illness, be aware of your attitudes and behaviour, Choose your words carefully, educate others. , focus on the positive, Support people, and Include everyone. In addition, sharing awareness through social media will help others understand mental health and how stigma can affect it.
Did you know that there are two types of stigma? Social stigma and self-stigma. Social stigma is what we have been discussing so far. Self-stigma is Self-stigmatization and has been defined as the process in which a person with a mental health diagnosis becomes aware of public stigma, agrees with those stereotypes, and internalizes them by applying them to the self.
Stigma occurs when society labels someone as tainted or less desirable. Stigma involves three elements; a lack of knowledge (ignorance), negative attitudes (prejudice) and people behaving in ways that disadvantage the stigmatized person (discrimination). As people keep hearing all of these negative things about themselves or in constantly rejected/neglected by society, they start to believe the stigma is real, which develops Self-stigmatization.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, nearly 9 out of 10 people with a mental illness feel stigma and discrimination negatively impact their lives. Now you know some of the effects stigma has on Mental Health. You can change/ stop stigma by doing your part. , inform yourself of disabilities other have and be nice. Society has a way of putting them down, so be that 1% that makes a difference with knowledge.
By Yessica Avila
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