I usually listen to a radio host named Bill Handel. He is entertaining to listen to whether he is on KFI-AM, Los Angeles in the mornings via I Heart Radio.com or whether I can get “Handel on the Law” on my local station Sunday afternoons.
While talking about Senator Fetterman, he disclosed earlier this week that he takes anxiety medication. He also talked about stigma that included how US Senator Thomas Eagleton was black-balled from being the vice-presidential candidate in the 1972 election. It was disclosed that Eagleton had depression treatment that included electro-shock therapy and that was that. Handel talked about how he could make the disclosure now but he would not have been able make such a disclosure years ago due to the stigma.
Stigma essentially means a bad reputation, or being looked at in a negative way because of a condition or trait that is considered to be a disadvantage.
Stigma is a source of fear. The fear is rejection in some form or fashion. The average person has it. The fear of stigma results generally in avoidance.
Fear of mental health treatment and people with mental health problems has been a social issue for years with different advocacy groups with slogans of “Stamp out mental health stigma.”
Stigma still exists. I think that mental health podcasts such as this are safe ways of getting help because accessing them are highly private. I think that many people with depression who fear the stigma of mental health issues honestly only come in for treatment because they have reached a crisis stage where they can do nothing but be admitted for treatment. Otherwise, they suffer in silence and endure many consequences because they do not seek treatment.
Stigma in my opinion starts with one person at a time. In this case if you are listening to this podcast as a substitute for seeing a therapist, it starts with you.
As I noted in my previous episode, it is surprising that Ronald Kessler and his research team found in 2005 that 20 percent of people in the United States had at least one episode of depression in their lifetimes. There are lots of people out there taking medication for mental health issues and you don’t know who they are because they look normal. They sound normal and it’s none of your business unless they happen to tell you.
When I think back over the various people whom I have worked with, who stated that they were afraid of stigma in different forms. I did find that some of them had some form of embarrassment prior to coming in for help. I also found that there was frequently the presence of one or more dominating, judgmental family members who were really into appearances. I have some thoughts if either of those are your situation.
First, if you are going back to a work place where you may have had an embarrassing scene, I think that you can have a good game going on in your head that you can move on from what happened. You don’t go to work to be talked about around the office cooler, and you don’t go to work to explain yourself to everyone. You go to work to go to work and it is none of your coworkers’ business.
Second, your judgment family member who wants to ask whether your “happy pill” is turning your frown upside down is not the whole world, and the rest of the world does not share their opinion. Yes, you may have to listen to them because they are family and they hold some power, but it does not mean that they are right.
Furthermore, you have to make a decision about making appearances because of stigma. Making appearances are essentially wearing a mask and that such a person is not being genuine. While it is prudent to have personal boundaries and not tell people everything, you do not have to feel as if you are on stage being watched by those just wanting to pick you apart.
I find that those who want to spent much time self-righteously judging others do not have a life. When you worry about making appearances for such people, you are wastin