5 Effective Ways to Help People Overcome Stigma Related to Mental Health Problems

Most people struggling with mental illness tend to experience stigmatizing remarks about their condition. They fail to understand why people blame them for the miseries they have to face in their daily lives.

They are called names. They face discrimination. Ultimately, the consistent nagging causes these people to feel ashamed and embarrassed. Furthermore, stigma does not let the patients seek professional help, which either delays or prevents their recovery. However, it is important to understand that these people are just ill. They have a disorder, which can actually happen to anybody.

While authorities should raise awareness around mental health problems to eliminate the stigma and discrimination, the community should rise over their inhibitions to help such patients come out of confinement and see life in new light. When it comes to people themselves, they can stand up to stigma in many ways. Here are some effective ways to help people overcome the stigma associated with mental health disorders.

1. Encouraging an open dialogue: Stigma surrounding mental health can be overcome only when people start talking about it openly. Usually, in an attempt to protect their loved ones or feeling embarrassed by the situation, families choose not to talk about their loved ones who are suffering from mental health problems. This only aggravates the problem. Most of people with a mental disorder do not receive treatment until they make an attempt to take their own lives. This is can change if people start discussing the problem directly and unreservedly.
2. People with mental illness need care and compassion: Isolation can be devastating for people with mental illnesses. Patience and compassion are what they need. They may be hostile to care in the beginning but they would find comfort in compassion eventually. Compassion is not sympathy. It is important to make them feel belonged and wanted in the family and society. They should be encouraged to take ownership of their life so that they feel empowered. It will give them a purpose motivating them to seek treatment to enable return to normal life.
3. Maintaining transparency about treatment: For a successful treatment outcome, the patient and the doctor need to work together. Moreover, the patient’s willingness to seek treatment is an important determinant in defining the success of a treatment program. People undergoing mental health treatment should know about the approach and expectation from the treatment. The patient should also be clear about his role in the treatment. Families can help set the required expectations by being transparent about the mental illness and the treatment sought.
4. Positivity has a calming effect: Juliette Lewis, the famous American singer and actress, once said, “The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die.” A positive outlook toward life and a strong will power to recover can go long way in ensuring early recovery, especially in people with mental illnesses. This sense of positivity not just complements the treatment but also helps patients maintain sobriety. Overall, bravery, strength and persistence are the key qualities to face mental illness and to fight the associated stigma.
5. Educating people about mental health problems: Mental illnesses are like any other physical problem that can be treated with timely intervention. Once people are aware of this simple fact, the stigma around mental illnesses will take a backseat. Authorities, communities, and people who have recovered from these illnesses can help the cause by their active participation. Lately, celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Brad Pitt, and Jim Carrey among others have shared their encounters with mental illnesses and their road to recovery. In fact, recently, the world saw Simone Biles withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics citing her mental health as a reason. This is an encouraging step for all those who are suffering in the dark.

Recovery from mental health problems is possible

If you know somebody grappling with mental health problems, help them seek professional help. Contact the Mind Health Network to get information on the latest and effective treatment interventions for mental disorders. Call our 24/7 helpline (866) 548-0190 to know more about the best mental illness treatment centers. Alternatively, you can chat online with our representative for further assistance.