Flourish - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 20
Even if we tell ourselves they’re not true,
it’s hard to shake their clutches. We all have
that little voice in our heads. For people
with mental health issues, that voice can be
our worst enemy. You may have been in
this boat where that voice tells us we’re
weak, pathetic, and dishonest.
Stigmatisation can result in significant
challenges for those experiencing mental
health issues.
Types Of Stigmas People
Face
Here are some of the types of stigmas
people face:
Public stigmas: This form of
stigmatisation can manifest as bullying,
exclusion, and discrimination at work,
school and in social settings. These
negative behaviours and beliefs can be
highly damaging.
Institutional stigmas: These stigmas can
look like negative policies, biases,
cultural norms, and organisational
practices. You can see institutional
stigmas in the workplace, where you
feel that your disability, mental health
disorder, or something entirely different
is holding you back, so you continue
hiding them.
Perceived stigmas: These stigmas are
the beliefs others hold and are built on
social foundations. If the media, social
media, and other avenues of content
tell us a mental illness isn’t real or not
as bad as people are making it out to
be, then those around us are influenced
to believe them. We may then feel
labelled and less inclined to find
support.
As a result of all the above, Health Direct
says people with mental illnesses who
experience stigmatisation can feel
discriminated against, bullied, excluded,
isolated, unworthy, and victimised.
