by Courtney Stamnes

Created on: October 13, 2010

Mental illness is a condition that has been recognized for thousands of years, yet it is still misunderstood and also feared, which has created the stigma around it. Types of mental illness are anxiety disorders, clinical depression, personality disorders and bipolar disorder.

Most of the time there is no single cause for mental illness; it is normally a combination of genetics and environmental stresses, among many other things. In some cases social influence has been found to have a large effect on contributing to mental illness. There are many uncertain ideas about the different causes of mental illness; the most common reasons are stress levels and traumatic events throughout life.

Stigmas occur when someone appears to be different then the norm. This person or the group of people may, and often are viewed in a negative way. Stigma is a way of saying that there is something wrong with the person or peoples.

People who have a mental illness say that the way they are stigmatized by others prevents them from living a fulfilled life. Many see people with a mental illness as being dangerous and unstable, when in fact they are no more dangerous then the average person.

The invisible illness is also used when talking about mental illness because all too often the only way of knowing someone has a mental illness is if they choose to tell you. There are many harmful effects of stigma, such as not acknowledging that it is happening and refusing to seek help and treatment.

Being rejected by family and friends is also a hard part of admitting to mental illness because they are your main support system, but if they do not know much about mental illness then they too may follow the stigma set out by society. Another harmful effect is the abuse and harassment that may come along with being mentally ill.

Everyone has their own opinions on mental illness, but the main reason for the negative stigma is the media. They portray the mentally ill as being dangerous, aggressive, and unpredictable. The mentally ill are accused of being lazy and have nothing to give to society.

Mental illness is only shown on the news when it is being related to violence. This leads people to believe inaccuracies and skew their views about mental illness. Often the stigma around the illness is worse then the illness itself.

One in four Canadian’s are fearful of being around those with a mental illness, while one in five British Columbian’s are living with a mental disorder. Those who

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