“I joke because, sometimes, I don’t know what else to do. Of course, the stigma against men’s mental health is not funny. When you are told that it is not appropriate to talk about your feelings, when you have limits placed on what is okay and what isn’t okay to talk about, when you are…
The variety of adversities in life that we can go through is stupendous. What appears to have the deepest impact imprinted within us seems most invariably to be trauma experienced in childhood. Childhood trauma in itself can vary greatly depending on the intensity, duration and support or lack of support when we go through neglect,…
5) Be a role model. Stigma is often fueled by lack of awareness and inaccurate information. Model these stigma-reducing strategies through your comments and behavior and politely teach them to your friends, family, co-workers and others in your sphere of influence. Spread the word that treatment works and recovery are possible. Changing attitudes takes time,…
It is a psychological state in which you may have learned to believe that you are helpless in particular situations. You may feel that you have no control over your life and “give up.” The result is that you have learned to remain passive in the face of unpleasant, harmful or damaging circumstances, even when…
How do we stop stigma? Conversation. Try these simple tips for talking. There’s a bunch of good information here about what to say, what not to say, etc. It matters. There are people around you dealing with mental health issues that you know about, and what you say to them matters not just to them,…
It gets better. I hate to admit it. Thinking back on it, the reason I hated everyone who told me that was because I didn’t want it to get better. I wanted to let my depression win. My depression was the pilot for a long time. He had control and he flew my plane. Until…
