Stop the Stigma

Today I read an alarming statistic:

If you add up all the people in the UK suffering from: 

• asthma
• diabetes
• kidney disease
• breast cancer, and
• prostate cancer

then you get a number notably fewer than those in the UK who suffer with a mental health illness.

How is it, then, that mental health is more common than these 'common' ailments, but is treated like such a taboo subject?

It is obvious that there must be a large crossover, and many of those suffering with, for example, diabetes may also have a mental health disorder. This could either be triggered by, or separate from, their physical condition.

Answer me this, if someone with diabetes says, 

'Oh, my blood sugar is low' 

do you think/say:

1. 'It's you own fault', 
2. 'Maybe if you smiled a bit more, your sugars wouldn't act up', or 
3. 'Have you any glucose tablets you can take? Is there anything I can do?'

Chances are that you'd think/say the last option. After all, why would they want their blood sugar to be wrong? If a smile fixed it, wouldn't they walk around like the 'Colgate' man to keep themselves on the straight and narrow.

Now, consider that this diabetic is suffering from clinical depression: not 'I'm a bit fed up today', but full on immobilising, inhibiting, devastating depression. 

Now let's revisit the questions; 

If someone with diabetes and depression says, 

'Oh, my mood is low' 

do you think/say: 

1. 'It's you own fault', 
2. 'Maybe if you smiled a bit more your mood wouldn't act up'... or 
3. 'Have you taken your medication? Is there anything I can do?'

The statement and responses are almost identical, but in my experience, peoples' reactions flip almost to the polar opposite.

Suddenly, the illness becomes a direct result of the sufferers actions. There is a presumption that if only they'd smile then, hey presto!, they'd be well again! 

And as for 'It's your own fault', would you say that to a breast cancer sufferer?? 'It's your own fault, as you have breasts'... 'Maybe if you just smiled the tumours will shrivel and die'... 

NO YOU WOULD NOT, you would know that this opinion is, to put it politely, codswallop...

What gives anyone the right to judge someone with a mental health issue as having caused their own illness...

The woman with anxiety, caused by years of social oppression and isolation, did she bring it all on herself??

The girl with post-traumatic stress disorder, caused by being raped, was it her fault???

The lady with bulimia, caused by constant bullying, is it her fault???

You know her, the one with bipolar disorder, caused by a chemical problem in her brain, did she change the chemicals???

That woman with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, did she choose for her brain to be wired differently???

No, no, no, NO!!!!!!!!!!

A sufferer of a mental health issue has been stricken by it just as much as anybody with a physical ailment.

It seems to me that the only difference between a physical or mental impairment is how the sufferers are treated by society.

Society decided long ago that just because you can't see an illness, it mustn't exist. This is a bit rich coming from a society dictated by beliefs in a supreme being. You know, a god, that you can't see... 

Maybe this is the answer. Preach all you can about your mental health issues; tell anybody who will listen, and anybody who won't too! Don't let society convince you that you should be ashamed, and NEVER apologise for your illness.

Sorry this became a bit of a soapbox rant, but I stand by everything I said... And by the way, the descriptions of sufferers earlier (in green).... They are all me...