Image by Robbie Wroblewski via Flickr
Although times have changed from the past where mentally ill patients were tortured with shock therapy, mental illness is still stigmatized. A person that doesn’t have a mental illness or has never known anyone with a mental illness may not understand that this is a real condition that the person cannot help. They may not be aware that mental illness can strike anyone, including themself.
It can be difficult to educate those that have no understanding of mental illness but without a lot of education and a lot of compassion, those people may not be ready to make a change. This can be even more devastating to someone who has made a mockery of mental illness or thinks that it is something that is just in the person’s “head.”
The first way to educate others is through training and eduction about mental illness. Many people only know what they have read in books or seen on television and they have never had any type of mental illness affect them personally. This education should be more widespread and with terms that everyone can understand. It is important that the public gets their information in a way that speaks to them and not simply seeing an advertisement for a certain pill or medication. While public service announcements may not be in the immediate future, it is something to think about when addressing the issue of educating the public on an issue that is widespread and can affect most anyone in any age group and demographic.
