Understanding mental illness and curbing the stigma surrounding it

1. Understanding the difference
between "normal" behavior and
signs of mental illness may be
difficult, but it can help in
understanding and avoiding
stigma. Stigma can have a
negative impact on those who
suffer from a mental illness.
Common Signs in
adults/adolescents (6):
- A lot of worrying/fear (6)
- Extremely sad or low (6)
- Confusion or hard time
concentrating/learning (6)
- Big mood swings, including
lots of ?highs?/euphoria (6)
- Long lasting/strong feelings of
irritability/anger (6)
- Becoming reclusive (6)
- Having a hard time
understanding/relating to
others (6)
- Changes in sleep habits or
tired/low energy (6)
- Increased hunger/loss of
appetite (6)
- Low sex drive (6)
- Not living in reality (6)
- Unable to notice changes in
own feelings/behavior/
personality (6)
- Substance/Alcohol abuse (6)
- Physical ailments with no
obvious reason (6)
- Thoughts of suicide (6)
- Unable to perform daily
activities or handle normal
problems/stress (6)
- Fear of weight gain/extreme
worry about appearance (6)
IT IS IMPORTANT WE
UNDERSTAND MENTAL ILLNESS
Children can develop the same
conditions as adults, but their
symptoms may be different (7):
- Frequent sadness (7)
- Becoming reclusive (7)
- Self harm/discussion of self harm
(7)
- Talk of death/suicide (7)
- Outbursts/extreme irritability (7)
- Dangerous out-of-control behavior
(7)
- Mood swings or changes in
behavior/personality (7)
- Increased/loss of appetite (7)
- Extreme weight loss (7)
- Sleeping problems (7)
- Often having headaches/
stomachaches (7)
- Unable to concentrate (7)
- Changes in grades/school work (7)
- Not going to school (7)
Understanding the signs/symptoms
enables us to understand what
someone may be dealing with.
With this understanding we are able to
empathize and ensure we aren't using
stigmatizing behaviors/words which can
be detrimental to those struggling with
mental illness.

2. - Don't identify a person by their
condition or address them as such.
Someone experiences bipolar, they're
not "bipolar". Someone experiences
mental illness, they don't belong to a
group called "the mentally ill". (2)
- Be cautious when discussing suicide:
Someone is "lost to suicide" or "died by
suicide" rather than "committed
suicide". (2)
- Politely correct those who use
stigmatizing or harmful language. (2)
- Don't use mental health conditions as
adjectives: Someone isn't "OCD"
because they like organizing. The
weather isn't "bipolar" because it
always changes. This undermines
legitimate diagnoses. (2)
- Don't refer to someone as "crazy,"
"psychotic" or "insane": For people
going through challenging symptoms
beyond their control, it can be very
harmful to be labeled as "crazy" on top
of it all. (2)
- Don't use the term "others" or
"abnormal": This insinuates people
with mental illness are inferior,
different or the "black sheep" of
society- which they're not. (2)
1 Held responsible for their
condition (2)
Expected to change their
thoughts and behaviors (2)
Avoided, isolated and
ostracized (2)
Viewed as unpredictable,
erratic and sometimes
dangerous (2)
Considered incapable/unable
to make rational decisions (2)
3
2
4
Be respectful of language used when
discussing or addressing someone with a
mental illness. (2):
People who suffer from
mental illness are often (2):
Works Cited
(1) Gallo, Amie. ?Break the Stigma.?Log In,-
app.lucidpress.com
(2) Greenstein, Luna. ?How You Can Stop Mental-Illness
Stigma.?NAMI, 1 May 2017,www.nami.org
(3) ?Picture of Children?Bing, Microsoft,www.bing.com-
/images/search?view=detailV2%2Cpicture+of-
+children.
(4) ?Picture of Mental Illnesses?Bing, Microsoft,www.-
bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2%2C-
pictures+of+people+with+mental+illness.
(5)?Picture of People?Bing, Microsoft, www.bing.com-
/images/search?view=detailV2%2Cpictures-
+of+people+with+mental+illness.
(6) ?Warning Signs and Symptoms.?NAMI, www.nami.org
(7) ?Worried about Your Child's Mental Health??Mayo
Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education
and Research, 26- Feb. 2020,
www.mayoclinic.org
WEAREALL RESPONSIBLE
FOR ENDING THESTIGMA
5
Because of stigma, those who experience
mental illness are often labeled and seen
as their condition and nothing more. (2)
The more we work together to end the
stigma surrounding mental illness, the
more change we can create in others.
It is important for everyone to help curb the
stigma which causes those with mental
illness to feel this way. We can start by
recognizing the words we're using.
Sticks and stones may break one's bones, but
words are just as harmful. Being conscious of what
we're saying and how we're saying it are small ways
individuals can help curb the stigma.