Why Is There Still a Stigma Attached to Having Mental Illness?

The fear of mental illness dates way back and can be centered to religious doctrine. In the very early days,it was believed that anyone showing any form of mental disorder,was the work of Satan,so was to be feared and the people locked away for the safety of the god fearing members of the church. This was,and in many places,still the way people look at this form of illness. up until just a few years ago,many forms of mental illness were not considered as an illness that could be treated.Clinical depression is one of them,this is my affliction,I was born with it and it has made my life very difficult as I have never been able to stay with any job for over two years at a time,but always blamed my drinking for this. I was never able to understand why I was seeing so many head doctors in my youth. Thankfully,they have now found it to be helped with medication,it cannot be cured,but I am now able to live a bit better than before. thank you for the discussion.

well thats life am afraid, people are pre-programmed by the meid by peer pressure into the perfect image and life. Its not just illness its dis-figuration or even because you got a big nose lol, People are born different some are physically different some are mentally different just get over it at the end of the day 1 in 10 of us will develop a mental dis-order as old age approaches how would you like it if it was you. So lets treat everybody as human beings, and get over all the prejudices that exist and bubble under the surface. Great discussion and lets hope if it helps one person to look at a non normal person in a different light then its worth it.

because people are wary that having mental illnesses it would be very dangerous to associate with them as befriending them need to be cautious all the time as we never know what are they thinking. Thus, they really need to be rehabilitate to receive proper treatment in a mental hospital . Though, some family lock or chain their relatives with mental illness in a cubicle such as happen in my places it still against the law and the social welfare services are the one who get the patient to his family to be brought to the mental hospital. In a hospital for mentally ill those patient could be cure of their disease when they could take medicines which could calm their mind and their ulterior motives. Then, the care they need to receive a lot of support and attention not criticism. As they have feelings to know they are being insulted which could even aggravates their condition. Therefore, the society should not alienated them and treated like rubbish as when heal completely they could live and lead a normal life.

I once started a discussion here that made someone think I'm crazy. I think the reason is because I didn't say well what I meant. I said something about making jokes to myself when I meant thinking of silly things to make myself laugh. But I think you are right that there are some mentally disturbed people here. I do pity them and I hope they get the help that they need. Having mental illness is no laughing matter.

I think the issue is that so many people including the scientific and medical worlds do not fully understand most mental conditions. Second many conditions make people unpredictable and or violent, abrasive, rash, or for lack of a better term different. Now if a person is not used to dealing with people that may have these traits it can make them nervous. I know I see people reactions to my cousin who due to a high fever never mentally grew past the age of 5. She sometimes talks to herself or her imaginary friends which for a 5 yr. old is normal, for a 50 year old woman it can really startle people (she can get a little loud at times). As a teenager I will admit there where times this was embarrassing, but as I got older I learned how to handle the situations. Sometimes a little learning is all that is needed others just a lot of self restraint. As I said before I rambled, I think the fact that many with a mental illness can be random in movement, speech and mood, making people wary.

Hi M. I am in no way an expert on this subject. But I have dealt with one in my workplace. This guy who works in our production floor, have had such a string of badluck last year that this somehow triggered a mental illness. I think he already had a history before. It was so bad last winter that he got suspended for cross-checking our HR manager to the boards in one of the company-sponsored hockey games. Anyway, he has since taken time off, still regularly sees a therapist, and has taken medication. Currently he's back at work. Although part time, at 4 hours a day, 3 days a week, he is slowly getting his life back. The reason I bring him up to the discussion, is that I actually talk to him regularly. I used to work in his cell, and we've had many pleasant conversations. About sports, life, anything. We still continue to talk, and I don't find him in anyway different from other workers. I know in the back of my mind that he has a history, but who am I too judge him? Heck! Everyone of us have had a history of mental illness at one point in time.

Mental illness is something that I'm very passionate about too...partly because I care about ppl, partly because of my past/history and partly because I suffer (for lack of a better way to word it this time of the morning LOL) from mental illnesses myself.... Its sad that ppl in todays day and age still hold such negative attitudes towards those of us who are mentally ill regardless of what that illness may be (lets face it there are MANY types/forms and degrees)..Ppl IMO should learn to open not only their minds and educate themselves but also their hearts and show compassion ya know..Being mentally ill isnt fun, or easy for those of us who ARE mentally ill or for the ones who love us.. I have to say too that I very much agree that there are numerous meds/therapies and so on to help one function better with mental illness but at the same time sometimes we (though really I can obviously speak only for myself) get tired of meds daily or need to NOT be emotionally monotone at times adn that in itself can be tryingn for us...It really is a big deal even with meds and therapy etc for some of us and ppl need to realize that AND the fact that just because we take meds or go to therapy or a combo of both etc doesnt mean we're cured or not goin to have "episodes" and so on - I wish ppl would stop seeing it as a black and white issue or worse yet (and this makes me just bent) a fake one!

I do notice it too mental illnesses is a disease and not a curse. they need to be cure by medicines and be confine or else they would be a subject of ridicule which lengthen their suffering.