S T I G M A
Stigma is defined as a sign of disgrace or discredit which sets a person apart from others. The stigma of mental illness remains a powerful negative attribute in all social relationships.
Stigma is a marker for adverse experiences, among them, a sense of shame, and is still perceived as a sign of weakness.
What my husband and I learned from our ill son was:
Stigma means not having access to resources.
Stigma means being reviled and becoming invisible.
Stigma brings with it intense shame, resulting in a feeling of
decreased self-worth.
Stigma is connected to secrecy.
Stigma causes anger which results in keeping one’s distance.
Stigma brings hopelessness, resulting in helplessness, and no
Noone can live without hope.
A civilization should be judged by the way it treats its mentally ill and its senior citizens.
