Can We Finally End The Social Stigma of Mental Illness?

Northfield, IL - March 6, 2015 Michelle Obama tweeted to her followers yesterday “Getting support for mental health isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s a sign of strength.” This was on the heels of launching a new initiative called “Change Direction,” a national campaign aimed at reducing social stigma surrounding mental illness. The Josselyn Center in Northfield stands together with the First Lady, echoing her sentiment that the stigma must end!

With nearly 1 in 4 Americans experiencing symptoms of mental illness each year, it is time to stop the shaming and promote mental health treatment in the same way we promote treatment for other physical ailments. “Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness and there should be no distinction” stated Michelle to an audience at the Newseum in Washington D.C. Her statement begs the question, why are people who suffer with mental illness viewed any differently than those who suffer with asthma or cancer? Why is mental illness, which affects the brain, any different than illnesses or conditions that develop in other vital organs and body parts?

The Josselyn Center addressed this very issue over sixty years ago in a newsletter article titled “Public Understanding of Mental Illness.” Mortimer D. Gross, MD makes the argument that it wasn’t until the last few hundred years that we as a civilization began to view illness through a scientific lens. Prior to that, illness was a mystery that could only be rationalized as punishment for one’s sins. It was believed that individuals brought illness upon themselves. Dr. Gross believed that in 1957 there were still remnants of this attitude ingrained within our culture, when physical illness was still considered a sign of weakness. He believed this bias was even stronger toward mental illness since it did not produce obvious symptoms, like fever or infection.

It is encouraging to see how far we’ve come since the article was first printed. It wasn’t that long ago that we were still whispering the “c word” if someone we knew had cancer. Today, a pink ribbon is seen as a badge of honor, representing the courage and strength of a survivor. Shouldn’t individuals struggling with mental illness be given the same respect and encouragement? 

Can we finally end the social stigma of mental illness? It seems quite possible with great leaders, role models and celebrities speaking out and leading the way. We can end the stigma by continuing the conversation, sharing our stories, recognizing the signs and encouraging our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to speak up when things don’t feel right. Mental illness is serious, but treatable in most cases. Advances are being made every day. The first step is recognizing there’s a problem and speaking up. Thank you Michelle Obama for keeping the conversation alive.

The Josselyn Center is a community-based outpatient mental health agency that serves over 60 communities in Northern Illinois. The Josselyn Center offers all clinical services, including psychiatric care and medication monitoring on a sliding fee scale based on income and client eligibility.