Mental Health + Stigmas

Mental health is the branch of medicine that has the most stigma surrounding it. Nobody looks twice at a person who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or osteoporosis, however when someone receives a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or panic disorder they are suddenly viewed in a different light. In reality, there is little difference between disorders of the mind and disorders of the body, they all can be traced back to an uncontrollable condition that negatively affects the structure or function of a part of your body. Scientifically, the two are comparable, yet the way people view them is so different. That is what creates the stigma surrounding mental health disorders, and prevents people from acknowledging their struggles and seeking help. We as a population need to work towards destigmatizing mental disorders to encourage more people to get the help that they need. This can be accomplished by more people opening up with their experiences with mental health struggles, however big or small. Many more people struggle with their mental health than we realize simply because they hide the fact for fear that they will be judged or viewed differently. Yet, on the path to normalization of such conditions, it is such people that need to be as open as they are comfortable with being. This will create an environment that accepts people and pushes them to seek aid, instead of making them feel ashamed and self-isolate; in the end, creating a climate of healthier and happier people in the US.