Although we are making progress, we still live in a world where there is a lot of stigma associated with depression and/or other types of mental illness. Stigma can create a lot of shame for people who are suffering from depression and can keep them from getting the help they need. Stigma can also ultimately reduce quality of life and may lead to premature death. For the most part, I think that a lot of us understand the major aspects of stigma. But what about the more subtle forms of it?
As an example that I have shared with many people, several years ago I was at a Motley Crue concert with my husband. Alice Cooper was the opening act, a guy I consider to be a big “shock rocker” of the 1970s. His set was going fine until he came onto the stage wearing a straightjacket, and he was trying to fight his way out of it. People seemed to be entertained by it, but I was physically repelled. A straightjacket? This was not funny to me at all. However, it occurred to me that even 10 or 20 years ago I wouldn’t have thought much about it. Here was a more subtle form of a stereotype that was being perpetuated at a rock concert.
Some other examples come to mind. Ever been to a haunted house that was portrayed as an “insane asylum”? Ever used expressions such as “that’s crazy”, “that’s insane”, or “you’re crazy”? Whether we realize it or not, there are subtle ways that the stigma of mental illness is still perpetuated.
Now, I’m not here to become the “stigma police” and shame people for these activities. However, I want people to at least realize what these examples and others can mean. Does it continue the idea that mental illness is scary and something to be feared? Does it create more of a burden on people who want to seek help but are worried about how they will be seen? Again, my ask here is to at least think about the subtle ways in which stigma is still alive and well in our society. After all, recognition is usually the first step in solving an issue.