Weak, Lazy, Liar, Violent, Crazy

27 February 2017

Depression, anxiety, autism, schizophrenia. When people hear these words our minds automatically provide us negative associations. Years of social conditioning connects these illnesses/disorders with words such as weak, lazy, liar, violent, crazy. These stereotypes against people with mental illness have a strong impact on them. A harmful one. They battle with the symptoms and disabilities from the disease, and on top of that they battle the stereotypes and prejudice that have been formed because of misconceptions about mental illness.

Some people are aware of the stereotypes, but do not believe in them. Some people don’t believe in them, but often they find themselves thinking some of them anyway. My major concern is that some people hold a real prejudice against those with mental illness. They treat them differently, they view them as lesser than, resulting in people with mental illness often being robbed of opportunities such as good jobs, decent health care, and friendships.

The most disturbing part for me is that prejudice doesn’t have prejudice, and it lives even in those with mental illness. Judgments about how depressed another person is, how anxious they are, or how their illness manifests are spoken behind the security of computer screens, and whispered behind backs. “You’re not as anxious as me so your anxiety isn’t real.” “You’re not medicated, so it can’t be that bad.” “You’ve never been diagnosed, so you don’t have depression.” Weak, lazy, liar, violent, crazy.

With harmful words spoken against one another inside our own - for lack of a better word- community, how can we expect the rest of society to respect us and reverse their stigmas on people with mental illness if we do not do that among ourselves?

There have been too many times I have kept my mouth shut when witnessing judgmental or cruel behavior from one person with a mental illness to another. I look back at it in shame, but also a firmer resolve. I resolve to remind others that everyone is going through a struggle that we know nothing about. I will encourage others and repeat “always keep fighting” often, perhaps too often, but is it really ever too often? I will make sure to tell those who reach out that they are not alone, and that I will listen to them, that I will always provide a safe zone.

Not only have I heard the unfair and vicious assessments spun out in a sticky web for others, but they have been dealt to me. What does this do to ourselves? To each other? To strangers and friends? It reinforces our stereotypes and biases. It discourages you, me, and every one from opening up and talking about our feelings, about our fears, about our struggles and undesirable and “twisted” thoughts.

Internalization becomes more and more the norm. We do not ask for help. Suicide, self-harm, coping mechanisms, drinking, and unhealthy relationships flourish. This society that promotes hatred and mistreatment of others and one’s own self is not what I want for us.

The public stigma, or reactions that the general population have, including those with mental illness, feeds into our self-stigma, or the prejudice people with mental illness turn against themselves. It’s a vicious cycle, and practically a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we believe ourselves to be weak, lazy, liar, violent, crazy, the more others do as well. The more judgments between those with mental illnesses, the more permission we give to those without mental illness to do the same. I wish I had the concrete answers on how to change this. How to shift the prejudices and burn away the stigmas like one would an infection, but I don’t.

All I know is that I can start with myself. To tell every one and anyone that they are not alone, to always keep fighting, and to remember everyone is struggling with something.