Mental health advocate: Time to cure this stigma for good

We have certainly come a long way and are more accepting about mental illness, but we have a lot of work to do. Thus, the theme for Mental Health Month as designated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness is “Cure Stigma.”

Mental health was never taken as a serious issue until those suffering emerged from the shadows. We have come a long way from the trenches of institutional punishment and familial abandonment. As the dialogue becomes more mainstream, it is more apparent that mental health issues are quite common. Thankfully, we have entered an era where treatments are plentiful and more money is being invested to aid in recovery.

Chances are you or someone you know suffers from a mental illness. These disorders often lie on a spectrum of severity and can wax and wane with different phases throughout life. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that, “Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. — 43.8 million — experiences mental illness in a given year.” These statistics are only those that are reported. It’s possible many more individuals are suffering with mental illness and don’t have the proper support to help them feel comfortable going public.

As the prevalence and normalization of mental illness increases, more people can feel comfortable about coming forward to seek treatment. Mental illness disproportionately plagues those in less privileged parts of society. Veterans and homeless populations suffer from mental illness at alarming rates and have fewer opportunities to seek help.

Mental illness is often a lifelong diagnosis, and one that takes proper care and treatment to integrate into daily life. Due to the patterned nature of mental health disorders, symptoms can rise and fall with different periods in life. It may take years to get a proper diagnosis and then to find a treatment that works for your illness.

Even if you do not suffer from mental illness, there are ways you can help others overcome the negative connotation. Support those who are affected by the wake of the stigma. Everyone can benefit from becoming more educated on topics of mental illness. Spot the signs and be there to talk with individuals who may need support. Don’t try to diagnose someone yourself. However, be open to support them during hard times or cyclical “flare-ups.”

Awareness goes a long way to create a cultural shift. The best thing you can do is to help the community overcome the stigma that the mentally ill are all too often ascribed without reason. The more openly we as a society can discuss these issues, the easier it will be for people to come forward and seek help when they notice something is off.

The shame, embarrassment and stigma can stop people from even coming forward with inquiry about their suffering. Just like any disorder, it requires the suffering individual to recognize that they need help. No matter how many people around them want to extend a helping hand, it takes the individuals themselves to find treatment and their desire for wellness to truly improve their illness.

Together through awareness, openness, education and empathy, we can change the societal stigma associated with mental illness. Through strength, we can all cure the stigma that has plagued individuals for centuries. From the shadows of historical association, mental illness stigma has come a long way. Progressive steps have guided the narrative forward, but leaps and bounds need to be overcome to achieve the potential that lies ahead.

Masand is co-founder, chairman and CEO of Centers of Psychiatric Excellence (https://staging.chorusy.com).

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