Mental Health Stigma

Erasing Mental Health Stigmas with the Facts

By: Bella Melfi | 3/10/22

Throughout modern media, phrases such as, “You’re such a psychopath” and “I am so bipolar” have become very popular. These phrases have and continue to have a great effect on our world by creating a stigma around mental health and those who are affected. Many who are affected by mental health conditions suffer everyday. False claims of these struggles further boost this stigma and take away from people who truly need help.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is commonly found in people who are considered “psychopathic.” Therefore, to the naked eye, anyone diagnosed with ASPD should be considered a psychopath. However this is not at all the case; ASPD is a mental impairment in which people struggle to show a regard for right and wrong as well as the rights and the feelings of others consistently.

Several symptoms of ASPD affect the daily lives of those struggling with it, such as a lack of empathy and remorse, callousness, or acting irresponsibly, and impulsively. As one may imagine, these symptoms largely affect one's ability to make friends and keep them as well as leading to further criminal behaviors or imprisonment. This condition is best treated in a multimodal fashion with a combination of therapies and medication combinations. People who exhibit psychopathic tendencies require a very different diagnosis but suffer from many of the same problems. Not everyone who struggles from ASPD struggles with all of the symptoms. But all remains the same, the severity of ASPD is to be taken seriously.

Another mental disorder that is often overused in day to day speech is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Many people think those who suffer from ADHD are, “just lazy” or that, “ADHD is not that serious.” However, many of those who have ADHD struggle with many things that are not at all under their control. ADHD is a mental condition in which someone suffers from a combination of problems including difficulty paying attention, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. Those who have ADHD can have issues with planning, have frequent mood swings, trouble multitasking, and a plethora of other symptoms just as a result of this mental health impairment. As a result of these symptoms, many of those with ADHD have trouble building lasting relationships, poor work or school performances, low self esteem, and missed deadlines in the workplace. Misconceptions associated with ADHD certainly do not help those suffering. It actually can further lower their self esteem and increase the difficulty of their symptoms.

Lastly, Bipolar Disorder (BP) is something that 2.8% of adults are diagnosed with every year and is associated with a lot of misconceptions. For instance, many people believe that those with BP are often just moody or that BP just affects their moods; yet, this could not be further from the truth. BP is a mental health condition that causes extreme highs and lows in moods, consistently. There are several different types of BP that people can suffer from depending on their case, so some symptoms and regular problems vary. Generally, those who suffer from BP struggle with decision making, decreased need or want for sleep, exaggerated self esteem, loss of interest in almost all activities, indecisiveness and many other things. These symptoms often result in sleep pattern struggles, low energy and activity, poor judgment, as well as a struggle with behavior and the ability to think clearly.

Many mental impairments are associated with some sort of horrible hysteria or misconceptions and it is rare that the actual human struggle of those with the conditions are taken into account. It is important that we reflect and further learn about the language that we use day to day. Thinking and learning about mental health conditions further can help us to understand both sides and prevent further tragedies in the world. If you feel as though you are struggling with your mental health or one of these specific conditions, feel free to reach out to our social workers here at LHS as well as talk to your parents if comfortable.