Mental Health Stigma

We all struggle with mental health stigma to some extent, whether it be with people trying to tell us there’s nothing wrong with our life, or feeling hesitant to seek support because you are unsure of how you will be perceived. These thoughts about mental health are amplified even more within South-Asian communities, and in general with collectivist cultures. There is nothing wrong with looking at mental health differently than others, but sometimes mental health is not understood within our cultures, particularly because there is no language or dialogue around the topic, which also leads to stigma or fear of the unknown. It can be exhausting trying to explain to others what you are feeling, and in turn, your loved ones not understanding your situation or blaming you for how you feel. This prevents us from sharing with others because we never feel understood.

Collectivist cultures are great in many ways, but growing up in western/individualistic ideology can leave us feeling torn between two different ways of thinking. From personal experiences growing up in the Punjabi culture, I realized there wasn’t any support in place for individuals struggling with stress, depression, adverse life transitions or relationship discourse. There was stigma talking about these issues even with your family members because you didn’t want to disappoint anyone or worse, upset your parents. Within the culture, it was normalized to put your feelings aside to fit into the role others expected of you. Even though every family is different, and everyone’s experiences will be different within their culture, I sensed a theme when talking about mental health which was related to feelings of discomfort, feeling like it is not okay to share your thoughts, and feeling afraid no one will understand your needs. Although awareness of mental illnesses has led to acceptance in today’s society, I feel there is still a significant amount of work to be done in allowing people space to share their struggles without judgment.

Jas has shared similar experiences and feels it’s important to explore this issue to help remove the stigma of mental illness. Jas stated: “I have found that the stigma appears to be primarily influenced by stereotypes, beliefs, and values. Personally speaking, I have experienced difficulties in navigating the mental health system due to cultural, educational, socioeconomic, and language-related barriers. Our parents’ generation never grew up with a proper understanding of mental health. I felt that I needed to hide my emotions and never sought help until much later.”

This is also why we started Shared Wellness, because we wanted to create a space where others felt welcomed to talk about their journeys, and it’s especially tough when sharing your stories with someone who may not understand your culture since it feels like you spend too much time explaining why things are the way they are instead of getting to the root of the issue.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) offers some suggestions about what we can do as individuals to help reduce the stigma of mental illness:

Talk Openly About Mental Health. Stigma perpetuates shame and often, secrecy. By sharing your experience you help stigma become smaller and smaller.
Educate yourself and others. Share facts and positive attitudes; challenge myths and stereotypes.
Be conscious of language. The way we speak can affect the attitudes of others.
Show compassion for those with mental illness. Treat everyone with dignity and respect; listen to and support others with mental health concerns.
Explore your attitudes and behaviours. Examine your own judgmental thinking, reinforced by upbringing and society.
Be a positive mental health role model. Choose empowerment over shame
Encourage equality between physical and mental illness. Normalize mental health treatment, just like other health care treatment.