Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health
[Applause]
let me share some facts with you
statistics tell us one in four of
everyone in this room tonight will be
affected by mental health or a
neurological disorder at some point in
your lives two-thirds of those people
will never seek help from a health
professional
if you think that’s the serving
treatment statistic
one person dies from suicide every 40
seconds
that is 800 000 people per year
suicide is a direct link to mental
health
one has to ask why
why
medically and technologically societies
are still happening
good evening ladies and gentlemen the
answer is actually quite simple
public and personal perceptions and
attitudes summed up in one word stigma
specifically the stigma around mental
health
stigma is defined as negative perception
due to a physical condition or mental
condition such as mental health
with so many people suffering from some
form of mental illness would be assumed
that it is a common situation and widely
accepted in our community
however sadly this is not the case
the sigma associated with mental health
is a result of misunderstandings of
ignorance
those suffering mental illness are often
shunned neglected or even feared
they are seen as people who can’t
control their emotions or are crazy for
feeling and acting the way they do
this also often results in those
suffering to feel ashamed unworthy and
hopeless this only makes their condition
worse
history reveals how horrific it was
anyone suffering a mental illness
the blackberry behavioral hospital
describes the methods that we use one
was to see eyesight-like tools above the
eyes into the brain to save the nerve
connections
jupiter was also used which include
drilling holes into people’s heads
electric shock therapy was also used
those suffering from mental disorders
throughout history have been shunned
neglected and abused
there is speculation that these methods
may still be used in mental hospitals
today
reflecting on historical cures
highlights historic fear and uncertainty
surrounding mental health to the point
where people thought drilling holes on
people’s heads was a good idea
and it’s hard to move on from these ways
of thinking through just certain mental
illness for what it is
i often ask myself as a person who
suffers from mental health disorders
whether people think i’m insane sad for
no reason or not stroke enough to handle
my emotions
even when there is a biological reason
as to why i’m suffering for australian
people assume that to be suffering i’ll
have to be sad
still along the corner and constantly
being in trouble clearly here i am not
sitting in the corner being miserable
but people have the thing a stereotype
that apparently i need to make
mental health has always been a part of
my life it seems like you’ve got to pick
me but i could never explain why i was
sad or constantly overthinking every
thought i thought it was normal
however i realized that my classmates
and other people in my life didn’t seem
to go through what i was going through
people would ask me why are you sad all
the taunts would come that is why
antidepressants were invented
or everyone has emotions what’s so
different about yours
sometimes they’re even joking about
killing themselves or making fun of
people with mental health disorders
how would they know that i am many
others will suddenly suffering
it’s so frustrating the mental illness
has such a negative brutal fever
surrounding you
such thing more only creates more misery
damage as those who suffer tend to
inflict self seekers such as feelings of
shame hopelessness and isolation
reluctance to ask for help or seek
treatment
mental illness is serious but it doesn’t
have to be viewed as a negative i wonder
why so many people are afraid of people
with mental health disorders or feeding
to the negative steamer
they reveal their perceptions throughout
your cultures lack of understanding my
family friends or others
your opportunities for employment or
social interaction will mean physical
violence or harassment
as a sufferer it
the bone is on this
negative stimulus is perpetuating what
is already a tragic situation in
communities everywhere the senseless
loss of so many lives to suicide
eight hundred thousand
it is time to change the way we see
mental illness and those who suffer from
it
accepting amounts of illness and
disregarding outdated stigmas and
stereotypes not only make a society more
positive but increase the number of
people who come forward and seek help
oprah winfrey months today the greatest
discovery of all time is that a person
can change the future by merely changing
its attitude
we must all re-educate ourselves on this
human condition and not perpetuate the
justices of the past
thanks for listening