Though technology has progressed so much that many diseases are getting cured, people still have myths in their minds about mental illness. Mental illness is not considered as an ailment but often considered as just a passing phase. In fact, having a negative perception of people with psychiatric issues is a matter of concern, known as a stigma.
Due to the stigma around psychiatric issues, people suffering from such issues face a multitude of problems, some of which are:
1. Patients may feel afraid to disclose their problems and to seek help
2. Miscommunication may happen between the person and his or her friends and family members
3. Lack of opportunities in case of academic as well as professional fields
4. Facing of both physical as well as emotional bullying by people around
5. Health insurance does not cover mental illness yet
6. The myth that such conditions and situations can never be dealt with completely.
Stigma is not a short-term problem, and there can, of course, be, solutions for people with psychiatric issues to deal with it.
Get Education and Treatment: It is very important for both the patients as well as the people around to get educated about their psychiatric issues. Today there are some options and ways through which patients can be successfully and adequately managed for many psychiatric issues. If people around you are not able to understand this, you need to ignore them and get proper treatment yourself.
Do Not Let Stigma Affect You: If you get affected by the stigma around you, you may get affected by other issues such as depression that may become even more serious. Hence, you need to learn to avoid such people and to gain confidence in yourself. If you have confidence in yourself, you will be able to perform all such activities in life that are performed by any person in an academic, professional or any other field.
Socialize: One of the most common problems that you may face is getting isolated. It is your right to lead a normal life, and hence, you need to go out and socialize. If you are not comfortable with your friend circle, you can join a support group that has members similar to you. There are many associations that run workshops and seminars to educate people for decreasing the stigma around mental health issues. You can also become a part of such associations, but of course, before that, you need to gain confidence in yourself. For doing this, some of the steps such as the ones given above can be of great help.