Reacting To Stigma On Facebook
The other day on my Facebook feed, I saw the stigma that surrounds mental illness. A young woman on my friends list said something similar to,
"I'm going to check myself into the crazy house for a vacation."
And the mental health advocate side of me was immediately triggered. The me that has a mental illness was triggered. The me who has been in the "crazy house" was triggered.
I sat for a few moments trying to decide if and how I wanted to react, and then decided to react in the most proactive way possible, and that meant educating that young woman.
I commented on her post saying,
"I am not ashamed to say that I have been in the psychiatric unit of a hospital, and I will be the first to tell you that it definitely is not a vacation."
And I left it at that.
I gave her a piece of information derived from my own personal experience. I didn't shame her for what she said or belittle her and make her feel stupid. Doing those things wouldn't have been effective.
She didn't respond to my comment, and that's OK. At least she read it, and hopefully considered it to be valid.
The best way to react to stigma when you encounter it is to provide accurate information against the stigma. Educate whoever it is who is fueling the stigma against mental illness, and don't lost your cool. You want your reaction to change the closed mind of whoever is stigmatizing mental illness, and don't want your reaction to encourage them to stigmatize it further.
The most effective way to react to stigma is with information, a level head, and a clear goal; to do you part in ending the stigma that surrounds mental illness.
