"So if as you read this, you're thinking, I have no idea what any of that feels like, then you're blessed. Have you ever thought, man, am I lucky not to be mentally ill? Likely not, because we seldom celebrate our normality. I'm the same. I don't celebrate having two arms and two legs but an amputee would suggest I should.
But in your mental health arrogance do not ever think for a second you can understand...."
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375694
Man I wish I could write like that....but I digress....
Today's entry will be about stigma. In a self-admitted pure case of plagiarism, I'm going to use the following definitions lifted straight from the paper "Stigma research and anti-stigma programs: From the point of view of people who live with stigma and discrimination everyday." by Barbara Everett, PhD. (http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/research-papers-reports):
"Stigma and discrimination defined
As a brief review of what, specifically, we're talking about..
Stigma is defined as negative, disrespectful and untrue judgments about you based on what people think they know about you - and your situation.
In contrast, discrimination involves negative and disrespectful actions against you.
Self-stigma occurs when you begin to believe the negative opinions about you and start to think that you deserve to be called names and denied opportunities.
Stigma and discrimination by association involves negative judgments about - and disrespectful actions against - family members, caregivers and mental health professionals."
Clear as mud? I hope so...
Personally, I can't speak to the last three just yet. Hopefully I never will. I can however, speak to stigma.
Like I alluded to in my first blog post, I personally know people who think that I'm using my depression as an excuse for some poor decisions that I made. Not entirely surprising since just under half of Canadians think that a mental disorder is just an excuse for poor behaviour. (http://www.thefsagroup.com/CMHA/pdfLib/StigmaandDiscriminationFactSheet.pdf) Guess that means there's just more out there that are keeping their opinions to themselves. Kinda sad, though, when you consider that about 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental disorder during their lifetime - that works out to something on the order of 6.5 MILLION people.
If someone has an opinion, you can't really argue with them. It's an opinion. Hopefully it's based on fact - real fact, not just what the person assumes to be a fact - see how nicely this fits in with stigma?
So how do you combat ill-informed opinions? I guess you try to educate, but I know that's going to be an uphill battle. That's why I'm starting with friends and family. Hopefully they'll be most receptive to the information that's out there. I know I can't change someone's opinion - they have to change it for themselves....I've seen some of the comments that people have made on other blogs related to depression:
http://www.torontomike.com/2010/03/the_stigma_of_mental_illness_a.html
The guy with the screen name "MAC" is a perfect example. Without knowing his background, one's first response is incredulousness (is that even a word?). But he's expressing his opinion, so there's no arguing with him.
Ok, getting back to stigma....
Here's some fun stigma facts from Everett's paper: "some research...expos[es] the paradox that those who are the most educated about mental illness, mental health professionals, can hold the same or even more stigmatizing beliefs than the general public"
I looked at the one article they cite from the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine (http://www.mejfm.com/journal/Sep05/Change_in_Medical_Students.htm). One of their findings: final year students felt more indifferent and less compassion when they saw a pyschiatric patient. Later in their conclusion, they state: "For many mentally ill persons stigma has emerged to be a 'second illness'"
Ok, here's a few fun facts from the Mood Disorder Society of Canada's Quick Facts: Mental Illness & Addiction in Canada (3rd Ed)
http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/documents/Media%20Room/Quick%20Facts%203rd%20Edition%20Eng%20Nov%2012%2009.pdf
- Perception of Canadians that agree chronic depression is a disability: 67%
- Attitude toward people with disabilities:
- Physical disability: Most comfortable
- Depression: Least comfortable
- The percentage of 556 United Kingdom respondents who reported either they or a family member had experienced stigma as a result of mental illness: 70%
- Percentage of pyschiatrists surveyed by the Michigan Pyschiatric Society who said they would treat themselves in secrecy rather than have mental illness recorded on their medical chart: 50%
Stay tuned...more to come...
Same Bat Time
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