stigma
People with mental illness represent one of the most deeply stigmatized groups in our culture. Learn more about it here.
We Aren't Choosing to Drown, Our Minds Make Us Feel Like We Already Are...
I never once when growing up thought, When I get older, I would love to deal with consistent struggles of the mind. That sure sounds glamorous. And neither did the millions of others who suffer, and I think we tend to forget that. Nothing about this toxicity is beautiful, and you are only making it worse by talking about it as if they chose this life themselves.
By Courtney Joyce8 years ago in Psyche
When Praying Isn't Enough
TRIGGER WARNING* Nearly three years ago, a close friend of mine committed suicide. It wasn’t her first attempt. She had had an ongoing habit of downing an assortment of pills in flagrant attempts to make herself pass out, and finally, she was successful.
By Micky Thinks8 years ago in Psyche
How I Got Over...
We never can understand the effects we have on people. Just being kind or rude can change a person's life at least for the moment. In the world we live in we are very judgemental. Cultural bullies who will crush an individual just to reinforce social norms and belief of how people should be and what they should do. Worst of all is the negative force of the family.
By I AM. Master of Arts8 years ago in Psyche
Bullies Owe Me Money
I feel that people who bullied me in the past owe me money in the present since emotional, verbal, physical, and psychological abuse do harm to your mental health with anxiety or PTSD symptoms. In this case, I feel that since I have limited income, my bullies owe me big time. I didn’t know for many years that I had pediatric-onset schizoaffective disorder. Nobody bothered to tell me about my schizophrenia. When they finally did, I lost self-confidence, but that was only because I was an insecure 20-year old who had just found out about my genetic disability. I have 22q, which I’m trying to be more forthcoming with telling people about it.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Psyche
Bad Nerves
"He was bad with his nerves, you know." I've always been slightly suspicious of the tendency to try to stick a diagnostic label that's the size of the launch pad at Cape Canaveral on every variant of human behaviour. We humans are a diverse bunch, and history offers proof of the depth and freakish ingenuity of Homo Sapiens as a species. It also demonstrates our endless capacity for self-delusion, particularly when it comes to the workings of our own psyche. The goal to define and categorise these *wonderful* divergences is laudable, but sometimes putting someone in a box means that you throw them away.
By The Duffers Diary8 years ago in Psyche
What Social Media Thinks It Knows
In today’s world, many young people are facing struggles with their mental health—with 10-20 percent of youth being affected by a mental illness. I can say that before I knew anything about what it meant to have mental health concerns I was living with it. The Oxford Dictionary definition of mental health is; a person’s condition regarding their psychological and emotional well-being. Society has put a stigma on it, so how are people that are currently struggling supposed to feel? It’s not like we woke up one day and decided that this is how we wanted to live our lives. I didn’t ask to live with depression or suicidal thoughts, but events in my life have led me to this place. I knew that I was feeling lost and alone in my world, and I feared the person I was becoming. I didn’t have any of the tools I needed, or to even know where to start. I struggled with feeling like I was the only person going through this. I felt like I was living on a roller coaster, and I didn’t know how to get off. I felt trapped in my own body. This time last year I hit rock bottom. I didn't know where to go. My world was a dark hole that I couldn't escape. The colorful parts of life were fading away; however, twelve months later I have done a complete flip with my life.
By Kelsey Waddle8 years ago in Psyche
Mental Illnesses: They're Not Just All in Your Head, They're in Your Head
All too often those who struggle with mental illness hear the words “It’s all in your head,” a phrase that implies mental illness is just a figment of our imagination that can be sent away just as quickly as it came. Those with depression may hear “Just cheer up!” Those with anxiety “Just calm down!” Those with bipolar disorder “Just grow up!” And those with ADD/ADHD “Just focus!” Phrases like this indicate it’s a common belief that those with mental illnesses have complete and total control over their disorders. Is it really so simple?
By Heather Terese8 years ago in Psyche
The Borderline of Mental Illness No One Is Talking About
For as long as I can remember I have had feelings of sadness, separation, anxiousness, and just feeling too God damn overwhelmed with being alive. Hear me out. I am not branded with a mental illness nor am I an ambassador for my friends with mental illnesses. But I can't help feel like I am almost always sad or pretending not to be.
By Mollie Mayers8 years ago in Psyche
Breaking the Stigma
Stigma, defined as “a mark of disgrace associated with a quality, circumstance, or person,” is a word that I have heard almost every day of my life. By being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I am seen by many people as someone who is “lesser” than others, someone who has chosen the life of attraction to not only males but females, as well. But it doesn’t stop there for me. Ever since I was fourteen years old, I have been defined by something that is out of my control. I have been seen as someone who is unworthy of many things and someone who is seeking attention, all because of the mental illness that I did not choose to have. Depression and anxiety, two serious mental illnesses that have unfortunately become more common, are now seen as just another thing that defines people, another part of someone’s personality. It is often seen as only a negative thing; however, through first-hand experience I have noticed that there are positives to these illnesses as well. I believe that every negative comes with a positive, and although it takes a lot of work to notice both sides, it is definitely worth it in the end.
By Allison MacInnis8 years ago in Psyche
