Erika J.

Reflection

I created a blog on the stigmatization of mental health and how you can help to prevent stigmatization in your community. Throughout doing this project, I learned even more on how stigmatization impacts different cultures and communities. I also learned of how stigmatization can cause more harm than the mental illness that some may suffer from. This is an issue I myself have experienced, and doing this project taught me different ways that stigmatization is normalized in our culture.

Stigma is when someone, whether it be an entire community or one individual, sees you in a negative way due to your mental illness (BetterHealth). Stigma can often prevent people from coming forward about difficulties they may be facing in their mental health. Around forty-four million people a year in the United States of America experience mental health issues, and only around half of them will receive treatment due to the stigmatization mental health has faced over time (Holthaus). This stigma can cause prejudice towards those struggling, and can heavily impact the care they receive and can even affect the way they are treated in their communities (Addressing Stigma). Prejudice is defined as a preconceived opinion without reason or evidence. Care providers can even discriminate against those they are supposed to treat as an effect of stigmatization. Discrimination is the act of being treating negatively as a result of your mental illness (BetterHealth). Some patients may even internalize this stigma, and as a result find themselves refusing to receive help until that stigma has been broken down. Mental illness needs to be destigmatized so that individuals can feel more comfortable coming forward with what they are experiencing.

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