originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:02 PM

@featuringme Woah I don't think I've heard of people blaming mental illness on not being religious enough 😞 I've heard of that for physical health but it would make sense the same line of thinking would apply to mental health..huh

 

How can people get help or help others who are facing stigma? Has anything ever helped you or someone you know deal with stigma around struggling?

I think being supported by groups of people going through similar things who are non-judgemental and accepting can help. I remember talking about my problems with a psychiatrist for the first time and her being confused as to how my parents could say I was attention seeking.. that kind of woke me up to how it wasn't true and I did deserve help

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:16 PM

@Lost_Space_Explorer5 I've heard of this for mental health, but not physical health lol . It's a pretty conservative way of thinking, and this is based on my experiences of following an Abrahamic religion, so I don't think I can generalise this experience to all religions. I think people with the same stigma basically assume that you're being punished for not following the religion correctly. Another stigma could be that mental health problems are simply a sign of being flawed, since people who follow the religion correctly are supposed to be strong and resilient. 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:30 PM

What brings about stigma? What kind of emotions does it generate both in society and in those that fall into stigmatised groups? How does the cycle of stigma keep going?

Stigma can be brought about by a lot of things - how the media portrays certain issues, the people we surround ourselves with, the information we choose to engage with. If we continue to consume media that presents particular stigmas, or interact with people who promote these stigmas, then the cycle can continue. If we want to stop the cycle, we need to challenge these stigmas. Stigma presents a false assumption about issues, fostering a culture of ignorance, generalisation and distrust in society. In turn, this hurts those who fall into stigmatised groups. 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:01 PM

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?

 

I've faced stigma because of my diagnosis

 

It changed the way I viewed the person e.g. medical professionals; I questioned their knowledge and experience in the field, haha

 

I didn't know any better and did nothing

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:04 PM

How can people get help or help others who are facing stigma? Has anything  ever helped you or someone you know deal with stigma around struggling?

Talking to someone who has been through similar experiences! Lived experience is very, very important. Usually there are forums online (like ReachOut) for all kinds of experiences, so you know you're never alone. 

Personally I like to follow a lot of mental health content creators/ artists on Instagram because then my feed is full of people who have gone through similar things and I know I'm not completely alone.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:19 PM

@Hozzles Totally agree! I think the biggest thing is to have support. Two is always better than one, and in this case, finding a community of people to share experiences is so important. 

 

Sometimes it's hard to help others who are facing stigma, because you don't really know what to say or how to respond and comfort them. When I opened up about my struggles to a friend, I think I just appreciated someone who listened, and not necessarily giving me advice and directions on how to solve the issue. 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:26 PM

@nixh Definitely, 100% agree with everything there! Two (or more) is always better than one, and even if a friend provides some distraction as a comfort rather than advice it's better to feel heard than feel like you're facing things alone.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:37 PM

Last question (or questions ) for the night! 

How can we  break the cycle of stigma (both at an individual and societal level)?  What are we currently doing and is it enough? Have you ever challenged  stigma and did it work? What would a society with less stigma around struggling look like?

originally posted on 17-02-2021 10:04 PM

How can we break the cycle of stigma (both at an individual and societal level)? What are we currently doing and is it enough? Have you ever challenged stigma and did it work? What would a society with less stigma around struggling look like?

At an individual level, we can look for resources that analyse stigmas and challenges them. This will educate us, allowing us to understand the struggles people go through better. At a societal level, the media should present certain struggles in a more positive manner. For example, mental health is often romanticized in the media, which has probably contributed to stigmas. The media has such a powerful impact on society, so whatever they portray will have an enormous effect on how we perceive certain struggles. Additionally, perhaps there could be more education focused on stigmas and how to respond to struggles effectively.

 

I feel like we've recently been challenging a lot of stigmas, but more work needs to be done. Online is where I've seen a lot of positive talk about stigmatised issues and groups, and the media has portrayed them in a more appropriate manner. However, some forms of media continue to present certain struggles in a problematic manner, and stigmas persist in society. 

 

I am aware of stigmas and their effects, but I'm not sure I've ever challenged them openly. This could be partially because I'm veerryyy conflict averse (not in a positive manner), so challenging people directly isn't my cup of tea. It's definitely something I should try to do tho, perhaps by sharing information on social medias. 

 

A society with less stigma would be so nice. This is a bit of a specific example, but I can imagine work days with more breaks allowed for reasons such as mental health, menstruation, maternity leave, etc.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:49 PM

At an individual level, I think like we've said already, by keeping our cognitive biases in check, standing up for and supporting peolpe being stigmatised, making sure their voices are heard. I don't know if what we are doing is enough but I think people are becoming more open minded (slowly) and more informed about how to treat people with respect but there's a LONG way to go. Sometimes I will try by catching people out if they say something and it usually results in them getting defensive... I think what's been most effective is challenging my own views in a way and getting out there and meeting people different to me because that's the best way to challenge those views society shows us? A society with less stigma around struggling.. I reckon we'd be more understanding of each other and less afraid to speak up if we needed help. And it would be safer to speak up in environments where it isn't so safe at the moment. Because at the moment there can be the risk discrimination or worse for many

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:58 PM

 

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:49 PM

How can we  break the cycle of stigma (both at an individual and societal level)?  What are we currently doing and is it enough? Have you ever challenged  stigma and did it work? What would a society with less stigma around struggling look like?

 

At both an individual and societal level, we can break the cycle of stigma through education and raising awareness on such matters

 

Currently, we are raising awareness for people who are struggling with their mental health via social media etc., but this is not seen for complex mental health conditions like OCD, PTSD etc. 

 

I've challenged stigma in the past (I just remembered this now and did not answer this properly in a previous question) where I question a few medical professionals on their beliefs concerning my diagnosis and my experiences. Yes, it did work and I'll leave at that, haha

 

One word - awesome

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:46 PM

How can we  break the cycle of stigma (both at an individual and societal level)?  What are we currently doing and is it enough? Have you ever challenged  stigma and did it work? What would a society with less stigma around struggling look like?/

Hmmm it's a tough one, because it seems in some ways we are getting better but in others we are getting worse (like as capitalism grows and grows there's more of a demand for productivity... the current climate of the world is a great example as people are both advocating that it's okay to rest this time but others are screaming for people to remain productive lol). Talking about it, sharing stories, and experiences really help, as well as being open to learning. If someone feels they are discriminated listen to them, and don't talk over them or for them (instead, elevate their voices). I always try to be open about my experiences, even in fear of looking like I'm attention-seeking or oversharing. I don't think it will ever be enough, maybe it's pessimistic but I think as long as we experience fear there will always be outsiders to stigmatize. But a society with less stigma would be so good! I believe it would mean greater accessibility, greater healthcare, greater equality... one can dream!

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:33 PM

To add on, in the context of struggling, I think such stigma exists and perpetuates in society due to errors in people's thinking that is, the cognitive biases that we are all prone to. In this case, it is jumping to conclusions about the origins why a person might struggle. This can lead to misattributions of the source of one's struggle and this is reflected when another person stigmatises the said person

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:34 PM

That is so true @hunginc, our cognitive biases make us all prejudiced in a way so we all gotta work really hard to be aware of that and try and challenge it

originally posted on 17-02-2021 9:57 PM

And that's a wrap folks! Thank you so much to everyone who joined in on the chat tonight  @WheresMySquishy  @hunginc  @featuringme  @Hozzles @nixh @Tiny_leaf (sorry if I missed anyone!)- It was really interesting to hear everyone's perspectives and I learnt a lot! It's so cool how we have our own interpretations of the questions and hearing your thoughts really got me thinking!

 

I hope you all have a good night and make sure to look after yourselves especially if this chat was at all distressing (I would encourage you to contact one of the services listed here if you need!)

 

Otherwise thanks so much and I'll pop a list of all the questions here for anyone who missed out on tonight's chat or any of the questions! Feel free to answer them if you like, there's no time limit! 🙂

1. 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.)?
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. How can people get help or help others who are facing stigma? Has anything ever helped you or someone you know deal with stigma around struggling?
5. What brings about stigma? What kind of emotions does it generate both in society and in those that fall into stigmatised groups? How does the cycle of stigma keep going?
6. How can we break the cycle of stigma (both at an individual and societal level)? What are we currently doing and is it enough? Have you ever challenged stigma and did it work? What would a society with less stigma around struggling look like?

originally posted on 17-02-2021 10:17 PM

Just a little rant from me about things that contribute to stigma...

Feel free to skip if it's too long.

 

Horror/ crime media. (Including true crime)

It creates so much stigma, especially around psychosis, certain types of personality disorders and disassociative identity disorder.

 

Kinda sucks when you're suffering and seeking help for someone to give you a wide eyed stare and ask if you're going to kill someone. (I was not, for anyone wondering.)

I started getting hallucinations just before my English class started studying some really stigmatizing horror movies, and no effort was made by anyone but me to point out that mentally ill people aren't actually like that. It absolutely affected how people reacted when I showed signs of mental illness.

It also kinda sucks that the only people I saw in media who had similar struggles to me were all portrayed as murderers. (Thanks Hitchcock + Steven King...)

 

So many words like "psychotic" "sociopathic" and "manic" are used in true crime stories as well, even if the person in question shows no signs of having the disorders associated with those words.

A lot of people don't realise that "sociopath" refers someone with antisocial personality disorder, that it's not their fault they have it and that it doesn't make them a bad person.

I've had someone with APD help me when heaps of people without the disorder refused to even talk to me about what I was going through, but even people in mental health spaces often ignore the stigma people with it face.

originally posted on 17-02-2021 10:25 PM

@Tiny_leaf Exactly this. I remember when I was just diagnosed Bipolar I and I just started randomly laughing for no reason (I was manic at the time) during an appointment and only then did my treatment team believe me. It took almost half a year for the diagnosis

originally posted on 17-02-2021 11:10 PM

@hunginc I've only had hypomania and it sucked, full on mania sounds even harder...

 

My treatment team didn't believe me either when I said I was depressed or getting hallucinations 

It took me about a year before I self diagnosed and another six months before I found someone who would believe me, because my behavior didn't fit the steriotypes they had in their heads.

 

My diagnosis was a bit unusual though, which didn't help things...

originally posted on 18-02-2021 11:15 AM

Wow! This thread has been an incredible experience to read and I just want to overall say how much I have learnt from this, but also how wise you all are! 

@WheresMySquishy in your opening you made a statement that I am going to quote "It's a challenge to raise your voice when it feels as though the rest of the world is saying 'don't make a sound'." You have blown me away with this statement and I feel this on so many different levels. Thank you! 

 

@Hozzles you described the cycle of stigma to be driven from fear. I absolutely agree with you. We are fearful of our future, we are fearful of others and we are fearful of ourselves, so it is seen to be easier to develop a 'mainstream' society. Sparking that scary conversation is important, and the first place to start is your social circles! Using films, songs, quotes and your own stories to educate and spark that conversation! 

 

Speaking up and normalizing all stigmas is slowly evolving which is amazing, as @featuringme mentioned their Instagram feed being filled with positive affirmations, which I think is fantastic when lots of people including myself can be trapped in a feed of expectations on self, life and happiness. Developing a positive message for yourself everyday can be transformative! 

 

@Tiny_leaf you have sparked a new perspective and conversation in me, I don't believe I have ever used that lens when observing crime films, but you stated something so important! We are conditioned to make connections of illness and crimes far too often. Thank you for sparking this conversation!

originally posted on 18-02-2021 11:46 AM

@Kaylee-RO I didn't notice it either but now it's been mentioned I notice it everywhere..

originally posted on 19-02-2021 11:30 AM

As always, so many insightful questions and responses. It was really good to read through everyone's responses and I wanted to acknowledge that some of you shared your own experiences of being stigmatised. It's such a hard thing to go through and I wanted point out how much resilience and perspective it takes to process that. We are here to chat through that further if anyone feels the need to  

 

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.)?

I feel like stigma is something most people are at risk of experiencing at least once in their life. Anyone who is culturally diverse, identifies outside of heteronormativity or the gender binary, men, people who have a hard time with drugs and/or alcohol, people living in poverty, those of us who live with a mental health challenge or with a physical disability. 

 

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?

There are a bunch of ways this can impact someone negatively. I feel like a big one is that when you need help and that is met with stigma it can really make you feel alone and as if their isn't help out there for you. People who don't have a support system of some description often find themselves more at risk of the harmful effects but it should be said that it doesn't mean it will always be like that. As much as it doesn't feel like it at times, there is always hope 

 

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?

 

I have definitely experienced stigma throughout my life. Being a queer woman of colour, who was raised in a rainbow family, who has experienced poverty and mental and physical health challenges (woah that was a mouthful lol). I think those experiences have shaped who I am, as much as it has meant that I have been through things that not everyone has to deal with, it also means that I am open minded and sensitive to social issues. 

 

I believe it's the reason why I have ambition to help others and make people feel less alone. It's taught me how to advocate for myself and for others. It's meant that sometimes I have negative experiences but I am proud that I've been able to navigate all those things.

 

The things I did to deal with stigma is to, educate myself, work on myself so that I feel empowered to use my voice to speak out against stigma and support myself. I've made sure that I have a strong support network and seek out communities that get who I am without explanation and that helps a great deal. 

 

How can people get help or help others who are facing stigma? Has anything ever helped you or someone you know deal with stigma around struggling?

 

I guess I kinda answered that question above, but what has helped me is knowing that stigma isn't actually my problem. It's other peoples issue if they don't understand my experiences and it doesn't make them any less valid. Surrounding myself with people who share my values has been the most important thing. That has been the thing that has helped me learn how to advocate for myself.

 

What brings about stigma? What kind of emotions does it generate both in society and in those that fall into stigmatised groups? How does the cycle of stigma keep going?

 

This is a really good question. I think stigma is very complex.. it comes from traditional belief systems, social structures that are in the process of changing, power dynamic, family beliefs...so many things. The cycle continues when people aren't shown a better way, when people/society aren't curious as to why they carry the unconscious (or conscious) bias that perpetuates these views. 

 

How can we break the cycle of stigma (both at an individual and societal level)? What are we currently doing and is it enough? Have you ever challenged stigma and did it work? What would a society with less stigma around struggling look like?

 

We can totally break the cycle. By lifting up the voices of people who have been stigmatised, by challenging systems that are lagging in change, by getting involved in local politics (write letters to your MP!!), by having difficult conversations with people when the opportunity arises, by working in career fields that break down stigma and if you can't do any of that you can always support yourself if you feel stigmatised - I think that is one of the most powerful things you can do. 

originally posted on 21-02-2021 2:45 PM

This was a great chat! I've loved reading everyone's answers and experiences. 🙂

Has anyone faced stigma about the treatment they're on?
It seems like whenever I tell people about my conditions, there are always some people who try to discourage me from talking about or having the treatment that has been helping me, or something I'd like to try.
Some of the comments I've heard are along the lines of:
'That's a nasty drug'
'Why would you want to mess with your body like that?'

'What you know about your treatment is wrong, so you shouldn't talk about why you're having it' (said when I was trying to explain why my doctors suggested having the treatment).

originally posted on 18-02-2021 11:19 AM

I think we all deserve a HUGE GROUP HUG!!