Beating Stigma & Self-Stigma

The biggest tool I truly believe we have in fighting stigma is in "telling our stories".  Taken from the Mental Health Commission of Canada's report entitled "A Time for Action:  Tackling Stigma and Descrimination":  

Personal contact is the method

Direct peer-based contact and personal stories, targeted at changing the heart - not just the mind of the listeners, was consistently identified as the most persuasive strategy for addressing stigma. The need to ‘normalize' the experience of mental illness and addictions, and move people from a sense of ‘them and us' to ‘we' was repeatedly stressed. Portraying ‘normal' people from varied economic, social and ethno-racial, backgrounds and providing a forum for them to share their lived experience was believed to help reflect our shared ‘human-ness'.

Personal stories which realistically portray the challenges, obstacles, and losses people encounter, their journey to finding help, the factors that made a difference in their lives and, most importantly, which convey a message of hope and recovery were thought to have the greatest, most sustained impact on attitude. ...respondents also suggested that using ‘famous celebrities' in campaigns was an effective anti-stigma approach.

It would be even more powerful if panels included both professionals and people with BD.  A one-two punch, if you will - helping to demystify BD while helping me to feel OK about having it, giving me a newfound hope of someday leading a full life again.  Margaret Trudeau has also been a huge inspiration.    

At the same time, I have a lot of mixed feelings about the subject of stigma - especially self-stigma.    Although people with BD might not be ashamed of their illness, there is often a lot of shame relating to the numerous consequences relating to the illness, such as:

- reckless spending

- other impulsive/embarrassing/inappropriate behaviours

- infidelity & a staggering 85% divorce rate

- ruined relationships as a result of lashing out at co-workers, friends and loved ones

- loss of career, often resulting in poverty

- higher incidence of alcohol/drug abuse & all its repercussions  

We also need better treatments - Many mental health organizations keep insisting that mental illness is "highly treatable".  However, depression remains as the #2 reason for disability & BD is #6 or #7.  So let's get real - these are not simple problems!  On average, it takes 8 years for a person with BD to get their meds figured out (I've been off work for 3 yrs now, still struggling). In the meantime, there is so much loss and suffering, that I don't believe the associated fear is at all unfounded.    And so I come to you with more questions than answers, since I honestly don't know how we are supposed to feel at peace with having this illness.  And until we can feel OK with having BD, I don't see how we can persuade the general public that it's OK to have BD, either.