Tag Archives: stigma of mental illness

The Stigma of Being a Mental Health Patient

As if it isn’t bad enough to be besieged by depression, bipolar disorder or any number of conditions that may land you in a medical facility for a period of time, there is the added stigma you as a patient may receive from family members, neighbors, acquaintances, even your work colleagues. While the majority of hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from mental and emotional complaints, the topic is still generally not talked about and many people are reluctant to admit to suffering from a mental disorder of some description. However, when the relevant condition deteriorates such that the … Continue reading →

Mental Health Week in Review: October 9-16

We certainly got people talking in response to the article Does Your Partner Look Like Your Opposite Sex Parent? While researchers at the University of Pecs in Hungary were busy finding statistically significant links between the similarities in appearance between your father and your partner if you are a female, and alternatively, your mother and your female partner if you are a male, readers at Families were conducting their own anecdotal experiments! Thanks to all contributors, both public and private. It seems that, in general, we are mortified to think that we have chosen someone who might possibly look like … Continue reading →

Telling People about your Mental Illness

Whether we suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, an eating disorder or one of the many anxiety disorders, there comes a time when decisions have to be made as to who and what to tell about your condition. Sometimes that decision is taken away from us, as when we suffer a psychotic episode, a suicide attempt, or our eating disorder has become obvious even to the most casual observer. I am often asked by clients how they should go about telling people about their illness and who they should tell. It can be quite a challenge to tell others about … Continue reading →

Depression Is Still a Stigma

Despite government educational campaigns costing millions and many famous faces coming out of the closet to reveal that the “black dog” has figured prominently on their lives, the stigma surrounding depression and mental illness in general lives on. In a recent Australian survey published in the journal Biomed Central, it was found that 20%, or one in five people, said they would not work with someone suffering from depression. This is despite the fact that depression alone affects a significant proportion of the population. The survey was conducted by Professor Kathy Griffith and Professor Helen Christiansen of the Australian National … Continue reading →

Does Your Doctor Think You Are A Hypochondriac?

There certainly exists a disorder involving the belief that you are suffering from illnesses that you aren’t. It’s called hypochondriasis and there is also an associated illness called somatization disorder. Fortunately, both conditions are quite rare. Therefore most people who go to the doctor with a physical ailment that concerns them need either a positive diagnosis that they can work with or reassurance that there is nothing to be concerned about. However, if your file should include a diagnosis of a mental illness, all that may change. Unless you have a reasonable doctor, many of the physical conditions you may … Continue reading →

Does Your Doctor Not Understand Mental Illness?

I am often frustrated when one of my clients goes to see their doctor for a physical ailment and is basically dismissed, or at best, condescended to, simply because they have a record of mental illness, either past or present. It seems that once you have suffered from depression or anxiety, or worse still, one of the major mental illnesses, every little twinge, whether it be in your stomach or your big toe, is often put down to a symptom of mental illness. Yes, they will tell you that “It’s all in your mind, dear.” I once had a patient … Continue reading →

The Stigma of being a Mental Health Patient

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As if it isn’t bad enough to be besieged by depression, bipolar disorder or any number of conditions that may land you in a medical facility for a period of time, there is the added stigma you as a patient may receive from family members, neighbors, acquaintances, even your work colleagues. While most hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from mental and emotional complaints, the topic is still generally not talked about and many people are reluctant to admit to suffering from a mental disorder of some description. However, when the relevant condition deteriorates such that the sufferer is … Continue reading →

Mental Illness is REAL

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My job as a psychologist is to assist people suffering from emotional problems to lead happier, more productive lives via a variety of treatments and techniques. My aim when I started blogging on Families was to provide articles of interest on a wide range of subjects that are part of the human condition. I also sought to provide accurate information about what constitutes a mental disorder and to that end, I usually provide a list of DSM-IV criteria for each disorder so that the reader is made fully aware of both the number and types of criteria that must be … Continue reading →

When others blame your mental illness for every emotion you feel

There are several aspects to the stigma of mental illness. The first one is obvious. Many people do not want to reveal that they have a mental illness due to possible detrimental effects on their careers and personal relationships. This is understandable as sadly the prejudice attached to having a chronic mental illness of any variety is still alive and well in our society. Stereotypical thinking of what a person who suffers from bipolar, schizophrenia, depression and the raft of anxiety disorders is like is peppered with theories largely based on Hollywood hype and the furtive whispers of misinformed neighbors, … Continue reading →