I've been wanting for a long time to post this, but I couldnt find the words to do it. I still havent said everything I wanted to, but this is a start. Please please educate yourselves and those around you.


stig·ma
Pronunciation: 'stig-ma
Function: noun a mark of shame or discredit



Mental illness is very common, affecting 1 in 5 Americans (more than 20 million people).

It is among the costliest health challenges our country faces.

Research continues uncovering evidence of genetic and physical factors underlying mental illness--so much so that many experts now refer to mental illnesses as brain disorders.

Mental illness does not result from bad parenting, or a lack of spiritual conviction. People do not "just get over" a mental illness anymore than they "just get over" cancer.

Most mental illness eases with treatment, through various forms of talk therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.

And yet --

* Stigma and shame still present significant barriers to treatment.
* Insurers typically cover mental illnesses far less comprehensively than physical illnesses (there are legislative efforts underway to change this).
* In rural areas, it can be particularly difficult to find appropriate mental health care.
taken from (http://www.erasethestigma.org/default.html)

There is a girl in my school who, shortly after school started, told everyone she was bipolar...Many people right then started disliking her and reading into all her behaviours. Many people at school that didnt make snap judgements dislike her because of how she has behaved and that they know she has bipolar disorder. No one at my school knows I have bipolar disorder, and I am well-liked. I have a different personality than the other girl, but it makes very little difference, she is a nice girl. If I were to let people at school know I had bipolar disorder Im almost positive that people would form their own ideas-- even tho they have seen me behave fairly normal these past months. I was ashamed of my illness...I still am. Im ashamed that I am this way, because the public is uneducated about mental illness. 1 in 5 americans have some sort of mental illness. Why are we treated like pariahs when we cant help our diagnosis any more than someone with cancer can. Why is it that people flock to help people who are diagnosed with cancer, but run away from us who have mental illnesses? Im not looking for sympathy here. I want people to educate themselves about mental illnesses. I want people to know that bipolar disorder can be treated and a person can live a normal life. I want people to know that Im not going to get all 'crazy' on them and do something stupid. I want all the people who have mental illnesses that arent seeing doctors, because they are afraid of the stigma, to go see a doctor. I want it to be OK for anyone to say that they have a mental illness and not be ashamed. Thats all I really want for Christmas
( article on the stigma of mental health...please read this )