The Stigma On Mental Illness Draft - 1108 Words

Alayne Anderson Mr. Johns English Per. 4 4/11/16 The Stigma on Mental Illness Draft #1 Martin Seligman once said; â€Å"One of the things psychologists used to say was that if you are depressed, anxious or angry, you couldn t be happy. Those were at opposite ends of a continuum. I believe that you can be suffering or have a mental illness and be happy - just not in the same moment that you re sad.† In Society people only listen to the stigma that surrounds mental illness which can cause the person suffering to feel worse about themselves and isolate them from society. People who suffer from mental illness such as Depression and Anxiety do not only deal with the situations harrowing with the disease; but also people’s thoughts on the†¦show more content†¦The stigma of mental illness can sometimes make people feel embarrassed to be around, or to just stay as far away from people who suffer with such illness. In two studies in the UK with a ten year gap there was little change recorded in the statistics, †over 80% endorsing the statement that â€Å"most people are embarrassed by mentally ill people†, and about 30% agreeing â€Å"I am embarrassed by mentally ill persons†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Huxley 1993). One such label to label such people is maniaphobia which means the fear of being mentally ill and the mentally ill which in some extreme cases could explain their situation and their possible fear. Which makes the peoples who are mentally ill or have mental illness are less likely to tell close family and friends which could help them understand their situation better. As well as help them get treatments or a diagnosis to help with peace of mind. Sometimes they are told but refuse to believe that such things exist or that they are weaker than others or selfish. The mentally ill sometimes stigmatize themselves, â€Å"there are numerous personal accounts of psychiatric illness, where shame overrides even the most extreme of symptoms,† (Peter Byrne). They feel like people won’t accept them or that they are somehow different so they lock it away and sometimes don’t