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Dealing with any kind of illness is challenging. But, people with mental illness have the additional
challenge of having to deal with stigma and there are a lot of misconceptions about mental
illness. We think about mental illness differently from physical illness as though it is the
person’s responsibility for the illness. Mental illness is not a choice in the same
way that cancer is not a choice. Mental illness is not a character flaw in the same way that
having arthritis is not a character flaw. Mental illness is not something that you can
snap out of in the same way that you can’t snap out of having diabetes. But stigma isn’t
only about how others view people with mental illness. It also affects how people view themselves
if their suffering, dealing with mental illness. Incorporating the views of society can lead
people to feel shame, self blame, and result in isolation. This can lead to people not
seeking the help that they need, and therefore, not getting the care that they need. Stigma
becomes a barrier to: diagnosis, treatment, and social support. One way to challenge stigma
is to educate people about mental illness. In Canada, more than 1 in 5 people suffer
from mental illness. Mental illness can occur because of bio-chemical problems, or can occur
as a result of some external event such as psychological trauma. Mental illness does
not discriminate. It affects everybody, all kinds of people. This means that nearly all
of us know someone who is struggling with a mental illness; whether it be a family member,
a friend, a colleague. Challenging the stigma of mental illness means that those important
people in our lives will get the help and support that they need.