Ending the stigma around mental health

By: Samuel Smith, Columnist

Hi. I’m Samuel Smith. I’m 18 years old, a Capricorn and I’m bipolar. I have bipolar II to be specific.

That’s not something you normally say. You wouldn’t introduce yourself and say what mental illness(es) you have. Most people would look at you funny if you mentioned them. Even in the best of friendships, sometimes you can’t tell them you’re mentally ill. Why is this? Why is there a stigma?
Bipolar disorder affects me. It affects how I act, what I do and certain rituals I have (I have to take medicine after breakfast and dinner, and it’s almost comical how big my pill organizer is). Folks are perfectly willing to ask what that little blue and pink pill is, but when they find out it’s lithium, suddenly I’m a freak, I’m other, I’m sickly. But just like the fact I’m a Capricorn, my bipolar II should be equally mundane. It should not elicit a response when I say I’m bipolar, just as it shouldn’t elicit a response when I say I’m a Capricorn (unless, of course, you’re an Aries).

Mental health is important. It’s just as important as any other health and as important as physical health. But there’s such a stigma around it. How about we analyze that stigma, think critically about it and attempt to get rid of it?

According to, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the first step is toTalk openly about mental illness.” This is probably the hardest thing to do. It’s hard to be open about something so stigmatized, but it’s so worth it. By being open, by sharing your story, you’re inviting others with mental illness to be open and honest, and you are inviting those who do not have a mental illness to think about how they think about mental illness with a critical lens.

A friend of mine on Facebook recently commented on how “bipolar” the weather has been. Language like this is not okay. Unless someone explicitly has a diagnosis (and is okay with you sharing that diagnosis), it’s not okay to place a label like that. Also, avoid slurs such as “retarded” as there is a history of abuse behind such words.

Hi. I’m Samuel Smith. I’m 18 years old, a Capricorn and I’m bipolar. I have bipolar II to be specific. But I’m so much more than my mental illness, and I’m so much more than the stigma surrounding it too.

 

8 thoughts on “Ending the stigma around mental health

  1. SMM Panel One is your one-stop solution for skyrocketing your social media presence and success. With our cutting-edge Social Media Marketing (SMM) panel, you can harness the power of various platforms to elevate your brand, engage your audience, and drive unprecedented growth. From increasing followers, likes, and comments to generating buzz around your content, our platform offers a seamless and efficient way to conquer the digital landscape. Boost your social media game with SMM Panel One and witness the magic of organic reach and genuine interactions like never before!

  2. Hotmail sign up, presently smoothly unified with Outlook, offers a helpful and productive method for creating a new gmail login account. With an easy to understand interface and an extensive set-up of features, the signup process allows users to lay out a customized email address for professional and individual needs.

  3. cannot be able to use services if you don’t sign in to your account. In this article, you will learn everything about yahoo mail in process and how to troubleshoot common login issues.

  4. More than a month later, on hotmail Jan. 11, a co-worker of the employee who had disco said. The employees put “Out of order” signs on the doors and alerted security.

Leave a Reply

Close

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.