Depression
Depression: stigma and mental health
Stigma happens when someone is labelled in a way that hurts their standing in the community, and encourages people to consider them as less than a whole person. Stigma is a result of ignorance: people tend to fear what they do not understand. Stigma can lead to hurt, rejection and prejudice against people who are labelled. People with mental health problems are labelled with a variety of names (e.g. as lunatics, nutters, bonkers, weak, violent, mad, failures). Many people we talked to felt shame about their mental health problems, which some of their families also felt. Some tried to overcome this shame.
Feels she can't tell her family about seeing a psychiatrist as she fears they would see her as...
Feels she can't tell her family about seeing a psychiatrist as she fears they would see her as...
Her mother was ashamed of depression, but this health professional strives to be more accepting...
Her mother was ashamed of depression, but this health professional strives to be more accepting...
And I suppose she wasn't seeing the real me in the short periods that we had together by that stage, because I had left home and was only coming back for a few days at a time. But whether you... she didn't see her depression as being a chronic illness. I'm not sure, I... part of me thinks that I am better at recognising it in others now. I sometimes see it in patients that are exhibiting maybe those early signs of what could be clinical depression that I might have missed before or given another reason for. But there is a familial link and I don't know if there is, but if there is a familial link you know I would hope that I would be more aware of how they are dealing with things in general. And maybe how I could help them if indeed they became like that. I think, I have a much more open relationship I think with my children now than I ever had with my own mother.
People showed enormous courage in coping with depression and overcoming stigma and talked about how they “walked through the minefield of stigma”, while trying to feel OK about themselves. For instance, many tried to pass as 'normal' and as if they were coping. Some avoided getting a diagnosis, or wondered if they should declare their depression to potential employers, aware that a history of mental illness would make it harder to get a job. Some people argued that the effectiveness of their medication proved that the problem was with brain chemistry, was no-one's 'fault' and therefore should not be stigmatised.
Even though she has been labelled as 'psychotic', she feels less ashamed after therapy, and...
Even though she has been labelled as 'psychotic', she feels less ashamed after therapy, and...
It was like saying... they may have well have said I was a mad woman. We all have different experiences and different realities at different times. Feelings are fluid. They come and go and we experience them for a reason. There is nothing ever to be ashamed about with mental health. You know, there really isn't. I would really like to change the public's perception of mental health problems and depression because people sometimes, you know, they would want to say well what's the matter, what's the matter with you? It's like you can't sum it up in a sentence, what's the matter.... you know. I've spent a year in therapy and I still don't know what the matter is, I haven't got to the bottom of what's the matter with me. It takes time, you know. It takes discovery and it takes courage and it takes persistence and energy.
As people came to better accept themselves, they sometimes took a more active approach to tackling stigma. Telling a few trusted individuals is often a first step. Prejudice could not always be avoided and people sometimes ended up feeling hurt and angry at assumptions that people with mental health problems are violent, dangerous or drug addicts.
Says that depression is less stigmatised nowadays and believes that disclosing your depression to...
Says that depression is less stigmatised nowadays and believes that disclosing your depression to...
Some people challenge other people's views on mental health very directly or even make personal complaints to the media about stereotyped portrayals of mental illness. And things are slowly changing. One man noted with relief the community outrage that occurred when a tabloid newspaper depicted Frank Bruno (the celebrity boxer) as “bonkers”. However, for another man, the Bruno episode exposed racial stereotypes on top of stigma. Others were encouraged by the way celebrities were more and more open about their depression. One man spoke positively about an anti-discrimination campaign that was run in his community, and another woman encouraged fellow users to tackle stigma directly in the media.
To stop rumours before they started, she told work colleagues she had been in a psychiatric...
To stop rumours before they started, she told work colleagues she had been in a psychiatric...
So he touched my shoulder and I said, "It's ok though," I said, "I'm not loopy" and he just started laughing, because I'd just turned it into a joke. You know, I'd sort of was like quite light hearted about it. I said, "It's ok, I'm not loopy, haven't lost my marbles yet. It'll take more than a bit of depression to get rid of me." And you know he was just like, "Oh my God," and I said, "Well," I said, "you've probably got all sorts of questions going through your mind right now, but if you want to know a bit about it, and about what it consists of I'll tell you."
Says that The Sun newspaper got lots of complaints when it described the boxer Frank Bruno as ...
Says that The Sun newspaper got lots of complaints when it described the boxer Frank Bruno as ...
Says that in being sectioned, Frank Bruno moved from lovable buffoon to the much feared...
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And its interesting... its as if he's you know come home to, he's reverted to type by being mentally unstable and uncontrollable, its almost a relief.... Certainly you know for the mainstream consciousness to know that he still is a big black male and can be out of control.... And in that capacity of course he was showered with all sorts of attention and, and I don't think altogether an un-genuine sense of affection, but he's comfortable, Frank Bruno is easy because ultimately he's harmless, he's made sure that he doesn't offer any threat...
But if you are any minority member, its not just race you know.... sexuality and a load of other things and of course women, you know if you are prepared to play the game that keeps essentially white middle class males unthreatened then you are very welcome, you will be embraced. But if you are going to express anything about the real nature of your experience at the hands of their rather odd views they're down like a pack of wolves and you know they're gonna deal with you in one way or another - albeit very civilised of course.
Feels that the stigma of mental illness is less in Brazil than in the UK, and he is encouraged by...
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But you know, I think even Beckham, the other day it was in the newspaper that he had or was about to have a nervous breakdown last year, blah, blah, blah and I said, "Oh good," you know, I even find I think it's really good that someone like him that is a football player blah, blah, blah goes and say, "I was about to, you know, stop playing for Manchester because of the pressure and this and that," because it breaks this assumption that depression is an illness for women or illness for weaker people. It's not, you know anyone can get depression.
Says that people should confront stigma if they can, and that Mental Health Media support people...
Says that people should confront stigma if they can, and that Mental Health Media support people...
Mental Health Media trains people on how to do interview on radio, TV and for the press. They've just started a new tool kit to try and tackle stigma and discrimination, and they're training people around the country at the moment on how to respond if you face stigma and discrimination. And they also have a wonderful award ceremony each year at BAFTA called the Mental Health Media Awards, and the best radio documentary, radio drama, tv drama, tv soap, website and various other..... There, basically, it's like an award ceremony and they'll, you know there might be four different clips from soaps, and you decide which one best expresses and best, honestly pursues a mental health issue, and that informs an audience well, as well as providing good drama.
Last reviewed September 2017.
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