Not that many years ago, people with mental illness were being burned at the stake as witches or as possessed by demons. Though no longer the case, we still push "them" to the periphery of society, shunning people out of fear or ignorance. The persistence of stigma for mental illness remains, even if it seems a bit more, let's say polite today.
Stigma is defined as a stain, blemish or defect - it is considered a mark of shame. There is a stigma attached to mental illness. Fortunately, where people would never even discuss illness openly, not even within the family, today at least we are more open.
But much work remains before we stop painting the mentally ill as defective or somehow damaged. Why should there be shame attached to an illness?
Mental illness is an overall description of a range of conditions. Included are bipolar disorder, depression, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and many more.
About one in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life. That also means we all know someone who is or has dealt with the illness.
The stigma of mental illness affects many parts of life. Employers and landlords may react negatively if they find out an employee (or job candidate) or prospective tenant is mentally ill.
Even families are not always supportive of their own members. Because of the stigma, some people will deny their illness and avoid getting help. This is a shame since there are effective treatments for almost all types of mental illness.
For the most part, society does not understand mental illness - and people fear what they do no not understand. Unlike any other illness, those labelled "mental" are rarely portrayed suitably on television. The entertainment media does little to change perceptions.
Thus, some of our supposed knowledge comes from the deranged serial killer who has "gone off his meds" on a crime show. Rarely are we shown someone who is living their lives in a healthy and normal way, as most people with mental illness do.
Stigmatizing people with mental illness is not usually intentional. It typically occurs when someone does not know any better or has been misinformed. Therein lies the solution to the problem: knowledge and understanding.
A good first step is to accept that we do not know enough about mental health, and illness. Speaking openly about it will help others understand. It is OK to ask questions and to share experiences.
There is no shame in having a sister with an eating disorder or an uncle with depression. What about your best friend who has schizophrenia? Isn't he just a person with an illness?
To quote the Canadian Mental Health Association, "the stigma experienced by people with a mental illness can be more destructive than the illness itself."
The person is not their illness. After all, would you consider someone with cancer to be cancerous? Why should we treat mental illness any differently?
Dr. Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for Rural Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, the Sunshine Coast, Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
