originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:16 PM

Just tagging some peeps who might be interested 🙂

@Bingo1234@hunginc@Tiny_leaf@WheresMySquishy@Hozzles @A_Friend @celestialdreamer @featuringme @nixh @Ladybug @GioDes  @Saltwaterdreamtime @ferdie22  @Anonymous  @xXLexi_Lou122Xx  @Eden1717 

 

We'll be starting the chat in about 15 mins!! 😄

 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:35 PM

Hey everyone, thanks for coming to tonight's LIVE GR! 😄 How are you all going?

 

Tonight we'll be chatting about the stigma of struggling which I reckon is such an important topic!

 

 

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So excited to break down those walls of stigma with you guys! 😄

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:40 PM

Welcome to tonight's GR!

Here's our first question:

What is stigma? What kind of struggles are often stigmatised? Are there groups of people who are more likely to face stigma (e.g. based on their identity, what they do, etc.)?

 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:58 PM

Ahh sorry, I have to go for a bit! Hopefully I'll be able to come back later  

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:55 PM

What is stigma? What kind of struggles are often stigmatised? Are there groups of people who are more likely to face stigma (e.g. based on their identity, what they do, etc.)?

 

Per the American Psychological Association, stigma is "negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual that may be regarded as a mental, physical, or social deficiency"

 

Mental health struggles are often stigmatised e.g. depression, complex mental health conditions etc.

 

Vulnerable populations e.g. low socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic minorities, homelessness, veterans, rufugees and migrants, victims of abuse are more likely to face stigma

 

 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:51 PM

What is stigma? What kind of struggles are often stigmatised? Are there groups of people who are more likely to face stigma (e.g. based on their identity, what they do, etc.)?

 

Stigma can sometimes be very obvious and sometimes it's more insidious? I think it's like a negative stereotype of certain characteristics that can influence how people possessing those characteristics are treated but also how these characteristics are portrayed. It can lead to discrimination or people feeling excluded or ashamed about who they are or what they're experiencing. It's a misrepresentation that can have a bad impact on people's lives. Hmm people more likely to face stigma, I think there's a lot of stigma for men right, that they should hide their emotions and 'man up' or whatever. Like.. that's not right. Maybe also like people who work in certain careers are expected to not show signs of struggling. I think it's important we realise that struggling does NOT equal weakness

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:00 PM

@Lost_Space_Explorer5  Your point about men being expected to hide their emotions and 'man up' is so true. I think that society often sees men as being providers, workers, etc., while women are seen as being more family-orientated. I was just thinking today about how male carers and the challenges they can face are often not recognised and they can receive less support as a result.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:55 PM

Yess mental illness is stigmatised and also disabilities. And minorities face extra stigma from prejudice and discrimination. Stigma is such a broad thing

originally posted on 17-02-2021 7:56 PM

Oh my gosh medical gaslighting is the worst @WheresMySquishy 😞

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:06 PM

Urgh medical gaslighting...

 

But I think that is important to note actually, that even medical professionals aren't immune from stigma.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:02 PM

Yess @hunginc so right

People in stigmatised groups are so unfairly misrepresented. Like people can be portrayed as lazy if they're experiencing financial hardship when that's not the case at all, and people can be working so hard just to survive. Victims of abuse can be stigmatised through victim blaming or be portrayed as fragile. I like how there's the trend to call them survivors instead, to challenge some of that stigma.

Also people who have survived suicide attempts can face the stigma of being attention seeking or weak 😞 Or families who've lost someone to suicide can face all this blame that they should have done more, when really it wasn't their fault

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:05 PM

Ohh also certain mental illnesses are way more stigmatised than others, it's so unfair and can really cause so much damage. Like I'm thinking schizophrenia is so misunderstood, bpd has a lot of stigma around it, bipolar, etc.?

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:11 PM

@Lost_Space_Explorer5 Bipolar is definitely one. As someone who is diagnosed Bipolar I with psychotic features, I still experience stigma about my diagnosis. 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:05 PM

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:43 PM

How can stigma negatively impact on those who are already struggling  (e.g. barriers to help seeking)? Who is most vulnerable to the harmful effects of stigma? Are there any protective factors against stigma?

Stigma invalidates the experiences people are going through, and it can make the struggle even harder. Stigma can also put the blame on the person, for example, people with mental illnesses are told to "get over it". This treats mental illness as a short-lived phase that can be easily controlled, when this couldn't be further from the truth. Yet, this stigma can make the person feel shameful for "not being able to get over it", worsening their condition. I think marginalised groups are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of stigma, as they already have to face discrimination and prejudice, and may not get appropriate access to resources as a result. 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:54 PM

@featuringme yep being told to get over things does not help 😞 And yeah it all adds up

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:18 PM

I've had people refuse to treat me because of my autism. I've also been told I'm too psychotic for one organisation but not enough for another.

It's also changed how I talk to people around me. I've found out that I can mention mild anxiety, but if I mention anything about hallucinations people freak out a bit.

It's also made it harder for me to seek help for physical issues, because my old doctor's first assumption was that it was my mental illnesses (turned out to be a connective tissue disorder)

 

Stigma can affect everyone, but I think like @Lost_Space_Explorer5 said, it can be worse for people with certain disorders.

People with psychosis, personality disorders and addictions are more likely to be discriminated against by medical professionals. 

People who are marginalised in other ways are more likely to face stigma for any mental illnesses they do have.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:15 PM

So true @Tiny_leaf! I feel medical professionals can be expected to be healthy, smart, not make mistakes, be career focused, etc.

 

How can stigma negatively impact on those who are already struggling  (e.g. barriers to help seeking)? Who is most vulnerable to the harmful effects of stigma? Are there any protective factors against stigma?

It can certainly stop people from asking for help, and can lead people to sort of internalise the stigma and start disliking themselves or believing negative things about themselves. I reckon people are most vulnerable if they have more than one characteristic that's stigmatised, as it all can sort of add up. For instance, someone might struggle with mental health, be in a more marginalised group, struggle with finances, etc. It all adds up. But also if they've had a history of experiencing stigma that can make it worse because it makes it more likely they'll internalise what they've heard? A protective factor would be social support. Those who are isolated are more likely to feel excluded and feel worse about themselves I think

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:21 PM

I feel stigma can turn people against each other, even if they're in the same stigmatised group. Like gatekeeping where people aren't seen as possessing enough of a characteristic to belong to a stigmatised group and be supported by that community?

e.g. This can happen with people who self-diagnose too, and it should be important to be understanding because some people genuinely don't have access to medical care or don't have a diagnosis yet and still need support.

or like someone might not be affected 'enough' to receive support

or like people that belong to the same broader stigmatised/marginalised group may clash because they belong to different smaller groups?

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:26 PM

@Lost_Space_Explorer5 yeah, I've noticed some LGBTIQ+ spaces tend to exclude trans autistic people because there are assumptions that we don't know our own identity.

I've seen other disabled people excluded from various marginalised communities, or people with more stigmatised mental illnesses be excluded by people with more socially acceptable ones...

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:29 PM

It's so sad to see and hear about that stuff @Tiny_leaf 😞 It seems so hypocritical of people too

originally posted on 17-02-2021 8:37 PM

Next question!

 

Have you (or someone close to you) ever encountered stigma because you  (or they) were struggling? How did it affect you? What did you do?