Imagine an illness that affects one fourth of our country. This disease causes a variety of symptoms that can last for years without ceasing and can affect people of all ages. Now imagine how our society would react to this plague. You’d think that there would be mass panic and an abundance of time and funds dedicated to researching a cure, right?
Unfortunately, this response is far from reality when it comes to mental illnesses. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness one in four Americans experience symptoms of a mental illness at some point during the year. Despite this high prevalence in our society, less than half of the adults affected by a mental illness ever seek treatment. UCLA psychiatrist and medical anthropologist …show more content…
One of the best ways to reduce stigma is to educate children about mental illness while they are young. Young children are very open to new concepts and ideas, so teaching children to accept mental illness and to view it as of equal importance to other illnesses would be much easier than trying to convince an adult who is set in their belief. By integrating mental illness awareness and acceptance into the curriculum it is possible to raise a generation that views mental illness as just another ailment that should be treated with the same attitude as other life threatening …show more content…
One of the most damaging effects of a stigma is that it causes people to not talk about something. This silence causes stigmas to get worse and the affected population to suffer more. By talking about mental illness, whether it be through media, education, or simply a conversation between two people, many of the stigmas can be eliminated. It is also important to realize that at some point in your life you have most likely experienced mild symptoms of a mental illness whether it be anxiety, depression, or something else. By acknowledging the occurrence of mental illness in your life, it becomes easier to view someone who suffers from a chronic mental illness as less of an
Unfortunately, this response is far from reality when it comes to mental illnesses. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness one in four Americans experience symptoms of a mental illness at some point during the year. Despite this high prevalence in our society, less than half of the adults affected by a mental illness ever seek treatment. UCLA psychiatrist and medical anthropologist …show more content…
One of the best ways to reduce stigma is to educate children about mental illness while they are young. Young children are very open to new concepts and ideas, so teaching children to accept mental illness and to view it as of equal importance to other illnesses would be much easier than trying to convince an adult who is set in their belief. By integrating mental illness awareness and acceptance into the curriculum it is possible to raise a generation that views mental illness as just another ailment that should be treated with the same attitude as other life threatening …show more content…
One of the most damaging effects of a stigma is that it causes people to not talk about something. This silence causes stigmas to get worse and the affected population to suffer more. By talking about mental illness, whether it be through media, education, or simply a conversation between two people, many of the stigmas can be eliminated. It is also important to realize that at some point in your life you have most likely experienced mild symptoms of a mental illness whether it be anxiety, depression, or something else. By acknowledging the occurrence of mental illness in your life, it becomes easier to view someone who suffers from a chronic mental illness as less of an