Rowancounterint rainbow

In a society where mental illness is generally not well understood or accepted, negative stigmas
are highly present in daily life for many people. Judgment is passed out like candy on Halloween
regarding many different mental disorders, such as depression. In many ways, society blames a
person for mental illness. Many people do not recognize disorders, like depression or anxiety, as
legitimate illnesses. For example, health care insurance options for mental illness is extremely
limited compared to the coverage offered for physical illness, which is discussed in detail by Dr.
David Susman, in his article entitled “8 Reasons Why People Don’t Get Treatment For Mental
Illness.” He explains that legislation was recently passed by the US Congress to address and
correct these concerns, but that many details still need to be fine-tuned. In addition, those who
suffer from symptoms of the sort often do not seek any treatment due to lack of resources or a
fear of being judged by others. As reported by Fox News in an article entitled “More Than Half
of US Adults With Mental Illness Don’t Get Needed Care,” approximately six out of ten young
people suffering from major depression do not seek treatment in their life. Without proper
treatment, many mental illnesses will develop and worsen over time. The negative stigmas
surrounding depression directly impact the quality of life for those dealing with the illness. In
many ways, these stigmas cause symptoms of the disorder to develop and intensify.

For many people, it is common vocabulary to refer to someone or something as crazy. The word
is used in a variety of settings and scenarios. For example, if a person thought that he was going
to score badly on an assessment but actually received a high grade, he may react by saying
“That’s crazy!” If an upstanding member of society was convicted of a felony unexpectedly,
people would respond similarly. “Crazy” can have many different meanings. Most often, it
implies a sense of surprise or alarm.

Sometimes, the word can be used in a derogatory way. Without being politically correct, those
with mental illnesses such as depression are often labeled in such a way as to be called crazy.
People who are considered crazy are most often different than the mainstream of society. Some
are outcasts and some display abnormal behaviors. However, abnormal is subjective. One
person’s idea of abnormal could be entirely different than another’s. Abnormality could even be
based on cultural differences. For example, in some cultures, it is abnormal for a person to walk
inside a house without taking off his or her shoes. It is common to refer to abnormal behavior as
crazy. However, different does not equal crazy. Therefore, abnormality does not equal craziness.
This definition also explains why it is inaccurate to refer to someone with a mental illness as
crazy. However, as stated in “Stigma Towards Mental Illness: A Concept Analysis Using
Postpartum Depression as an Exemplar,” mental illness stigma is a serious issue in all cultures
and ethnicities.

There are many negative stigmas regarding mental illnesses such as depression. Negative
stigmatization of mental illness can be a theoretical death sentence for the self-esteem and
confidence of an individual. Byspreading a stereotype such as craziness in regards to illness, the
problem itself escalates further.  For example, discrimination against those suffering from mental
illness prompts many people to not seek proper treatment. The fear of being judged by others
inhibits their psychological well-being as a whole. People often do not seek treatment for serious
mental health concerns due to the fear of being judged or accused of having self-inflicted their
issues. As stated in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease in an article entitled “Mental
Illness Stigma and Care Seeking,” fifty to sixty percent of people who would benefit from mental
health treatment do not seek or receive it. People who suffer from these types of illnesses have to
not only deal with the symptoms of the disorder, but they also have to deal with the struggles
presented in society. Michael W. O’Hara explains in his article “The Nature of Postpartum
Depressive Disorders,” that depression can have a significant effect on a person’s self-esteem.
Therefore, the social stigma only worsens these feelings in an individual. They may face
discrimination in the workplace or possible judgment in social environments. This negativity is
created by the many negative stigmas that revolve around mental illness, and it does nothing but
create false perceptions of the disease.

In addition, since many people with mental illness are assigned blame for their feelings, it may
lead them to assign blame onto themselves as well. However, such thoughts are backwards and
entirely counterintuitive. To be frank, the idea of depression as a whole makes people
uncomfortable because it is not well understood. In response to this uneasiness, society attempts
to “justify” depressive feelings on the basis of them being insincere. Depression is not brought
upon willingly or intentionally by any person, so it is counterintuitive that people feel the need to
assign blame for the disorder.

Labeling someone as crazy for an illness is not productive in any way, shape, or form. Negative
stigmas revolve around these types of illnesses, which do nothing but worsen the lives of those
who suffer from them and their families. It is important that the prejudice and complete
discrimination of those suffering from a mental illness stops. Mental illness, specifically
depression, does not have cause for blame in a person. Assigning blame to a mental illness such
as depression as a method of reasoning does nothing but worsen possible symptoms and negative
feelings that one may be experiencing. The lack of knowledge that many have of the illness
causes a stigma that those with depression are “crazy” and looking for attention. However, such
thoughts are demented and ignorant. The idea of depression as a whole often makes people
squirm because it is not well understood. The stigmas related to the illness are so great that many
people feel uncomfortable even talking about them. Therefore, minimal progress has been made
to broaden people’s knowledge of mental illness. Instead, in response to this uneasiness, society
attempts to “justify” depressive feelings on the basis of them being insincere. Depression is not
desired by any person, so it is counterintuitive that people feel the need to assign blame for the
disorder. Therefore, assigning blame for depression does nothing but worsen heavily stigmatized
thoughts on the disorder as a whole. It is the hope that over time, society will become more
accepting of mental illness and all that it entails. Society needs to realize that being different
does not make someone less of a person. Discrimination and prejudice related to the topic needs
to end.

Negative stigmas can lead to negative, hurtful labels, and it can lead to symptoms of loneliness
and distress. The common term of calling someone crazy if they are different in any way plays
an extremely significant role in the field of mental illness. Calling someone crazy is an ignorant
way of looking for causation. Since mental illnesses such as depression are not well understood,
it makes people uneasy. Therefore, calling someone crazy is an implication that blame has been
assigned. It does not make sense that a serious illness that is most often caused by traumatic
events or biological chemical changes can be one’s “fault” for having. People are not blamed for
illnesses such as cancer or diabetes, so it is unfair that others are blamed for having a mental
illness of any kind. The lack of knowledge that many have of the illness causes a stigma that
those with depression are “crazy” and looking for attention. Unfortunately, these ignorant
thoughts are extremely prevalent in daily life for those struggling with mental illness, and they
can prove troubling in a variety of ways over the span of a person’s life.