*October 14th, 2010* MALA ASHOK
Today is World Mental Health Day; a day to salute people like Michael Schratter who are battling the stigma associated with mental illness. *Stigma is tenacious and it can be a killer. We need to help victims battle this stigma. * Don't shun them... What sets Mental Health issues apart from other health issues? Almost all of us know the answer. It is stigma. A person suffering from a mental illness not only has to contend with a difficult ailment but is also weighed down by the additional burden of the stigma associated with the condition. *Ignorance* Stigma is a product of ignorance. The only way to deal with it is through education: what causes mental illness, why bizarre symptoms occur and why mentally ill people are no different from the rest of the population. Canada is one country which does a wonderful job of making the general public more aware and makes treatment options available to the mentally ill. This allows the mentally ill to be productive members of society. Michael Schratter is one such person. He is attempting to cycle around the world in an effort to battle the stigma of mental illness one pedal at a time! Michael, a std. V teacher, has embarked on a journey from Vancouver in British Columbia on Canada's West Coast and proposes to bike the equatorial distance of 40,000 km. While doing so, Michael will write for the Vancouver Newspaper periodically. Michael suffers from Bipolar Disorder but does not let this illness define who he is. Michael's column explores the issues surrounding mental illness and will try to dissolve the stigma that surrounds this common human condition. Michael believes that he can convince the world that mentally ill people are just people, different types of people with different goals and aspirations all trying to live a fulfilling life. “I can't think of another affliction that harbours as much stigma as mental illness. How is it that, in the third millennium, this illness still carries so much negativity, fear, and misunderstanding?” he asks. *Conclusions* As a teacher Michael tried to answer this question. Here are some of his conclusions: When mentally ill employees fall sick they need time off due to medical reasons that are not directly visible. This causes suspicion of, among other things, malingering and feigning illness. Unpredictability is viewed as dangerous and the “Jekyll and Hyde” nature of some forms of mental illness is considered threatening by the general public. Science has proven, and repeatedly asserts, that mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Yet most people view the troubling behaviours caused by mental illness as signs of an impure soul or flawed personality. In India, the patient is seen as possessed by evil spirits and subjected to inhumane treatment. Media, especially the visual media, portrays mentally ill people as “dangerous.” This is far from the truth since they are more likely to hurt themselves than others. However, as long as the myth is propagated, the stigma persists. Often mentally ill people are homeless and are used by drug pushers. Thus they become addicts too. Their behaviour thus is a product of both their condition, but ignorance attributes it to mental illness alone and they are shunned further causing a vicious cycle. Whatever the cause, stigma is tenacious and it can be a killer. We need to help victims battle this stigma and, like Michael, have the courage to RIDE NOT HIDE! <goog_1085470654> http://www.hindu.com/mag/2010/10/10/stories/2010101050200600.htm -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
