HOW TO OVERCOME
STIGMA & DISCRIMINATION
Stigma can be both visable and hidden. A sign of visable behaviour would be making negative comments about or towards someone who has a mental illness or discriminating against them. An example of hidden behavior would be believing or continuing to believe the many destructive myths about mental illness, such as that people with mental illness are violent and/or dangerous.
What Stigma looks like?
5 helpful ways to overcome stigma
GET EDUCATED
If you are struggling or you know someone who is and want to help, educate yourself on mental health. What is mental health? What are ways that you can help? Knowledge is the most powerful resource and can make a significant difference on defeating stigma and discrimination.
ACCEPT HELP
If you are feeling that you are struggling and don’t know what to do remember you do not have to fight this battle alone. By being able to get treatment you are able to take the necessary steps to help your mental health. Talk to someone who you trust and can confide in whether that may be a friend, family, or a counselor. Whoever that person is, speaking about what is going on in your life it gives you a safe and confidential place that you can vent about your feelings knowing they are trustworthy enough to not break confidentiality.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR MENTAL ILLNESS
Most importantly you are not your mental illness. What you are going through or what you have been diagnosed with does not define you as a person.
GET INVOLVED
Promote the benefits of education on mental health. Be active in different campaigns and helping people realize how you can help others fight against stigma and discrimination.
USE YOUR RESOURCES
Social media is everywhere. You can reach out to people from across the globe. Use the resources that are available to you for example, social networking websites (facebook and twitter which are commonly used), television, Internet, newspapers, magazines. Anything that you think is a beneficial resource use it!
Ulife, 2013