As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to an end, we thought it’d be worth discussing the ongoing stigma against mental illness and substance use disorder. In 2021, it was reported that 1 in 5 people (57.8 million) experienced some form of mental illness diagnosis, including depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Of those who reported mental illness, 19.4 million adults also had a co-occurring substance use disorder. It can be assumed that the number of people experiencing these disorders was actually much higher since there is an average delay of 11 years between the onset of mental illness symptoms and actually receiving treatment.
The reason for this delay, which is associated with something that afflicts millions of people, many times stems from the shame in asking for help, the lack of understanding by family and friends, and the difficulty in locating resources to treat these conditions. Unfortunately the effects of delay in treatment can be life altering and fatal. One of the solutions to fighting stigma is educating the public about mental health and substance use disorders. This is a key tool in giving people the confidence to share their stories with others and help prove the undeserving stigma to be false and we want to do our part!
Common Stigmas Associated With Mental Health
So what exactly is stigma and why is awareness important? The definition of stigma is “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person” or put more plainly, negative attitudes and beliefs attributed to a person’s specific traits or health conditions. The three most common types of mental health stigma are public, self, and institutional.
Public stigma is the overarching negative or discriminatory attitude that society has about mental illness and substance use disorder. Examples include a friend or a family member saying “You’re crazy!” after you disclose to them that you have borderline personality disorder.
Self stigma happens when individuals accept the public stigma, and internalize shame about their own conditions. A very common example of this would be believing you’re weak because you struggle with depression and have a hard time motivating yourself to do basic daily tasks.
Institutional stigma stems from when government policies and private organizations, either intentionally or unintentionally, limit opportunities for people in need. Examples of institutional stigma are lower funding for research or access to fewer mental healthcare resources compared to other forms of healthcare ie. walk-in medical urgent care clinics vs. urgent mental health clinics.
Understanding The Impact of Stigma
Acting on stigmas can have long term consequences, including:
Individuals being forced into a type of treatment they don’t want
The misconception that those with substance use disorders or those who struggle with mental health are irresponsible, leads to people taking an authoritative role in their lives by making choices for them (the recent debates surrounding conservatorships is an example of this).
Individuals being put in a segregated institution that keeps them away from the general population
When people act out of fear, it causes them to exclude and isolate those who they deem too dangerous to be part of larger communities.
Proper help being withheld from an individual
People who respond in a benevolent manner are often doing it with the best intentions, however it can cause them to view those needing help as childlike and ultimately unable to make decisions that are best suited for the individual.
Any of these consequences will have a huge impact on someone’s sense of worth and autonomy. This can lead to ambivalence about one’s future and lack of motivation to participate in their own lives if they’re constantly being told they don’t have the capacity to do so. By understanding these different types of stigmas, we can collectively help change how we respond to individuals that are struggling.
How to Fight Stigma
A great way to start fighting this stigma is to encourage people to speak about their experiences with mental health and/or substance use disorder. A common first introduction to hearing these experiences is through blogs, podcasts, and videos produced by those sharing their stories. Educational campaigns supporting having conversations around mental health can also help people identify symptoms within themselves that they might have been overlooking or ignoring. Some great campaigns are those by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
When we are informed and able to empathize with others, it helps us become mindful of the language we use when discussing these conditions which further breaks down public stigma. The more people are able to normalize discussing mental health and substance abuse, the more normal it will feel to have easily accessible mental healthcare like we do physical healthcare thus reducing the potentially long lasting and fatal effects that untreated mental illness can have
Support at Williamsburg House
Here at Williamsburg House, we greatly encourage clients to share their experiences with one another since clients often come to us feeling isolated and misunderstood. Once people are able to connect with one another over shared journeys through seeking mental health and substance abuse treatment, they slowly begin to feel empowered to take their life back and work toward their goals. Through case management we’re able to collaborate with clients’ clinical teams to ensure they’re properly supported on a daily basis.
We understand that everyone’s an individual and even though clients may share a diagnosis, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the same day-to-day hurdles. By encouraging clients to remain part of the community as alumni, we’re able to keep people from feeling isolated even after they’ve moved out. Our main goal is to always foster a caring community made up of individuals who have unique experiences that can lift each other up and help break down a stigma that affects millions.