Too often, bipolar disorder is portrayed in the media in an exaggerated form, with inaccurate depictions, violent images, and demeaning language. Consequently, it creates a stigma that harms people living with the condition.
Most people who live with mental illness have been blamed for their condition. They’ve been called names. Their symptoms have been referred to as a phase or something they can control. Stigma causes people to feel ashamed of something out of their control. Worst of all, stigma prevents people from seeking help. For a group of people who already carry a heavy burden, stigma is unacceptable to their pain. While stigma has been reduced recently, progress has not been quick enough. We all need to raise our voices against stigma. Every day, in every possible way, we must stand up to stigma. Stigma generally stems from fear and a sense of discomfort with something unknown. Some of it is fueled by inaccurate news reports that sometimes sensationalize or wrongly depict mental illnesses. Often, when people do not have an experience or knowledge of someone with a mental health illness, they may have limited information about mental illness, which leads to inaccurate representation. Somehow, media and entertainment generally portray people with a mental illness as incapable of holding down a job, unable to sustain long-term relationships, unpredictable, and non-functional. However, in many cases, with effective treatment, people with bipolar disorder can be employed, maintain relationships, and function well. Unfortunately, they also depict people with bipolar disorder as aggressive and violent. While the manic state may cause agitation or unusual, escalated behavior that impairs decision-making, far more often, the person with bipolar disorder is more likely to hurt themselves before they hurt someone else. Reducing Stigma Educating the public about mental illness is one of the best ways to overcome mental health stigma. A few ways to reduce stigma include:
Language Matters How we speak about bipolar disorder impacts how we think and view people with the condition. A few ways to shift the language include
People living with mental illness are brave, strong, and persistent—the qualities we need to face mental illness and fight stigma. No matter how you contribute to the mental health movement, you can make a difference simply by knowing that mental illness is not anyone’s fault, no matter what societal stigma says. You can make a difference by being and living authentically. How about you? How do you fight the stigma? Join the discussion in the community.
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AuthorI was born in 1986 in Lebanon. I'm still trying to find my passion in life and in the meantime I'm learning to navigate my bipolarity and redefining stability. Archives
February 2024
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