Fight
Stigma | Borderline Personality
Disorder
TEN
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT STIGMA
By Otto Wahl, Ph.D George Mason University
1.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS. To the extent that
you are better informed about mental illness, you
will be better able to evaluate and resist the inaccurate
negative stereotypes of mental illness that are so
common. One place to start is the National Mental
Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network.
2.
LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED MENTAL ILLNESS.
These individuals can describe what they find stigmatizing,
how stigma affects their lives, what they would like
others to know about life with mental illness, and
how they would like to be viewed and treated.
3.
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE. Most of us, including mental
health professionals and mental health consumers,
use terms and expressions related to mental illness
that may perpetuate stigma. We use psychiatric labels
to disparage, such as when we complain about aggressive
drivers and call them "nuts" and "lunatics." We also
depersonalize sufferers of mental illness by referring
to them generically as "the mentally ill" or as "a
schizophrenic." We can avoid contributing to stigma
by avoiding such language and by using People First
language to refer to individuals with psychiatric
disorders.
4.
MONITOR MEDIA AND REPORT STIGMATIZING MATERIAL to
any of a number of organizations. The National Stigma
Clearinghouse, the National Mental Health Association,
and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill protest
such material by contacting the people -- authors,
editors, movie producers, advertisers -- responsible
for the material.
5.
RESPOND TO STIGMATIZING MATERIAL IN THE MEDIA. Write,
call, or e-mail stigmatizers yourself, expressing
your concerns and providing more accurate information
that they can use. The organizations mentioned above
can help you figure out who to contact.
6. SPEAK UP ABOUT STIGMA. When someone you know misuses
a psychiatric term (such as "schizophrenia"), let
them know and educate them about the correct meaning.
When someone disparages a person with mental illness,
tells a joke that ridicules mental illness, or makes
disrespectful comments about mental illness, let them
know that that is hurtful and that you find such comments
offensive or unacceptable. Let others know your preference
for People First language.
7.
TALK OPENLY ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS. Don't be afraid
to let others know of your mental illness or the mental
illness of a loved one. The more mental illness remains
hidden, the more people continue to believe that it
is a shameful thing that needs to be concealed. Talking
about it can also be empowering for individuals with
mental illness and help to relieve the "internalized
stigma" they feel.
8.
DEMAND CHANGE FROM YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. Policies
that perpetuate stigma--from poorer health insurance
coverage of mental illness than physical illness to
limited funding for research into the causes and treatments
of mental illness to inadequate budgets for public
mental health services--can be changed if enough people
let their representatives know that they want such
change.
9.
PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIGHT STIGMA.
Join, volunteer, donate money. The influence and effectiveness
of the organizations fighting mental illness stigma
depend, to some extent, on membership size and adequacy
of finances. They also rely heavily on the effort
and passion of their volunteer members. You can make
a contribution through them.
10.
CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH RELATED TO MENTAL ILLNESS AND
STIGMA. To the extent that mental illness can be understood
and treated, stigma will be reduced. When we can be
confident that mental illness can be treated quickly
and effectively, it will be less frightening. When
we know how stigma is perpetuated and, better still,
changed, we will be better able to assist those with
mental illnesses to deal with it. Research will help
us to learn these things.
Otto
F. Wahl, Ph.D. George Mason University
