In recent years, there has been an influx of mental health advocates and organizations that hope to lessen social stigma surrounding mental illness.
What is stigma?
Mental health stigma is when a person perceives another person in a negative way because of their mental illness. Stigma can lead to discrimination, which is when a person treats another person negatively because of their mental illness. Stigma and discrimination can stop a person from seeking the help they need to better their mental health. They might think that they are just going through a rough time and will feel better in a couple of months. They might think that others will see them as weak for seeking help.
One way to reduce the impact of social stigma is to share your story. Vocalizing your experience normalizes mental health struggles, by making them more relatable to others. It also normalizes seeking help. Recently, 17-year-old, Alissa Schilling, was named 2020 Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs in Springfield, Missouri. She has experienced many hardships in her life, one of them -- homelessness. In high school, she pushed herself academically, and graduated this year with a weighted GPA of 4.8. She decided to open up about her life and share that she has struggled with her mental health and sought help. She said, "I used to feel very insecure about my past and my emotions so I just kind of bottled it up and now that I've shared it, it's freeing.” (Riley, 2020)
Schilling encourages others to share their own stories. Do you have a story you’d like to share?