Mental Health Education

mental health, mental illness,
and addressing stigma

Stigma, Misconceptions, Stereotypes

Let’s start by talking about stigma and what that means relating to mental health. Stigma is the division of us vs them. A mark of disgrace associated with a person, place or thing. Mental health challenges often face a lot of stigma because it is hard to see and therefore hard to understand. Stigma creates a barrier that prevents people from getting help, or knowing there is something even wrong in the first place.

There is also a misconception that mental health is not as important as physical health. But in actuality, Mental health is just as important as physical health. We need to work on both in order to achieve wellness.

For example if someone is experiencing depression they may not be eating properly which impacts physical health. On the flip side, someone who broke their leg may now be feeling isolated and depressed due to that injury.