What can be done to reduce the stigma and shame surrounding mental illness? Some people might think that there is no stigma, but in reality it is still pervasive. I work as a RN at a mental health and chemical dependency hospital. I have seen patients' whose families turn their back on them because they are "crazy." There have been patients who are afraid to call their friends using the hospital phone because the person on the other end has caller ID and would know. Patients are sometimes afraid of letting their boss know that the reason they were out of work was because of a mental illness, and they might lose their job. Some patients are going through a divorce, and are afraid the custody of their children will be in jeopardy if the spouse or ex-spouse finds out and uses it as ammunition. It is amazing how precious the HIPPA act is in this field. There are even others afraid to use the proper terms for their disease, and choose to instead talk about it in terms of their "nerves" are acting up. HCP must be very careful with diagnosing young children due to labeling that will occur and negatively affect that child. Patients have a hard time taking medication for a mental illness, even for mental illnesses with a biological etiology, because they think that it is not really real, or that if they take the medication they are admitting to the world that they are "screwed up." Most of the people in the hospital have very traumatic pasts, poor support systems, and poor coping skills. They become hopeless. Some even use their diagnosis as an excuse for inappropriate behavior.
So, the stigma is seen within the patient, within the mental health and medical health system, and in society in general. I think the most effective way for the stigma and shame to be reduced is by education, of not hiding the mental illnesses... educating society about the reality of the illnesses, the reasons for them, and the effects they have on the individual and society... by showing the necessity of recognizing the symptoms, and searching out treatment/support in order to reduce the adverse effects.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I agree with you completely. As with most other things, education is a key element. I can't imagine working in mental health. It must be a real eye opener. I would think it would make someone much more compassionate dealing with all of the different things that you deal with. I never thought about the whole caller I.D. thing and work issues. That brings it to a whole different level. It is so sad to me.
Your blog was very informative. It is very unfortunate for people suffering from a mental illness to be avoided by family or friends. A lot of people don't know the proper things to say to people suffering from the disease; so, instead of learning about it, they avoid loved one suffering from it, in fear of saying the wrong thing that might trigger an onset.
Post a Comment