Comments on: the stigma of mental illness http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/ making lives better, making better lives Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:45:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: a script for mental illness http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-660376 a script for mental illness Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:09:14 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-660376 [...] is something i’ve discussed before, here and here for example. the question is: how do you talk about mental [...] [...] is something i’ve discussed before, here and here for example. the question is: how do you talk about mental [...]

]]> By: isabella mori http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-15739 isabella mori Fri, 02 Mar 2007 22:02:26 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-15739 hello jamila a few days after this, i cannot for the life of me what profound (?) thought moved me to talk about what it means to be exposed to mental illness. maybe just sheer tiredness? :) what you bring up there is similar to my experience. for me it was/is some sort of compartmentalization: e.g. this "other" person has OCD but MY depression is different. and as you say, intellectually i don't think that way at all but when i really listen to the less rational part of myself, i think that's what's happening. what i also find quite interesting is that it feels vulnerable to me not only to talk about my struggles with mental health but also my struggles with stigmatization ... hello jamila

a few days after this, i cannot for the life of me what profound (?) thought moved me to talk about what it means to be exposed to mental illness. maybe just sheer tiredness? :)

what you bring up there is similar to my experience. for me it was/is some sort of compartmentalization: e.g. this “other” person has OCD but MY depression is different. and as you say, intellectually i don’t think that way at all but when i really listen to the less rational part of myself, i think that’s what’s happening.

what i also find quite interesting is that it feels vulnerable to me not only to talk about my struggles with mental health but also my struggles with stigmatization …

]]> By: Jamila http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-14887 Jamila Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:15:15 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-14887 Hi Isabella, wow, that was a quick response! I guess people are blind because it's easier that way, so what I mean is when we are "forced" to open our eyes. When it happens to someone we love, it is no longer an abstract concept. But still it's hard to get past the stigma. My mother was diagnosed with Bipolar about 13 years ago, but since then the diagnosis has changed to schizophrenia. I have jumped up and down and ranted about "not being ashamed" etc. but when it comes to my own depression, nope there's nothing wrong with me. I think I'm only just coming to terms with it. Hi Isabella, wow, that was a quick response!
I guess people are blind because it’s easier that way, so what I mean is when we are “forced” to open our eyes. When it happens to someone we love, it is no longer an abstract concept. But still it’s hard to get past the stigma. My mother was diagnosed with Bipolar about 13 years ago, but since then the diagnosis has changed to schizophrenia. I have jumped up and down and ranted about “not being ashamed” etc. but when it comes to my own depression, nope there’s nothing wrong with me. I think I’m only just coming to terms with it.

]]> By: isabella mori http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-14886 isabella mori Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:54:41 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-14886 good question, jamila. i have two thoughts about this. on the one hand, in order to be exposed to something, one has to be open to it. it's not as if mental illness is rare. it's everywhere. so it's possible that a person who is not exposed to it is maybe blind to it. on the other hand, we're all blind to something - indeed, to a lot of things. it's part of the human condition. so some people are blind to mental illness ... good question, jamila. i have two thoughts about this.

on the one hand, in order to be exposed to something, one has to be open to it. it’s not as if mental illness is rare. it’s everywhere. so it’s possible that a person who is not exposed to it is maybe blind to it.

on the other hand, we’re all blind to something – indeed, to a lot of things. it’s part of the human condition. so some people are blind to mental illness …

]]> By: Jamila http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-14884 Jamila Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:20:49 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-14884 Someone came upon my blog by doing a google search for "stigmatization" mental illness. I tried it to see if my blog came up, it didn't but i found your blog instead. Hello! You said "obviously, even though intellectually i am completely opposed to the stigmatization of mental illness, on an emotional level, i’m still struggling with it." I relate to this a great deal. It's extremely hard for us to come to terms with after years of "exposure" to mental illness, so how hard is it then for people who are never "exposed"? Someone came upon my blog by doing a google search for “stigmatization” mental illness. I tried it to see if my blog came up, it didn’t but i found your blog instead. Hello!

You said
“obviously, even though intellectually i am completely opposed to the stigmatization of mental illness, on an emotional level, i’m still struggling with it.”

I relate to this a great deal. It’s extremely hard for us to come to terms with after years of “exposure” to mental illness, so how hard is it then for people who are never “exposed”?

]]> By: GNIF Brain Blogger » Blog Archive » Brain Blogging, Second Edition http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-10842 GNIF Brain Blogger » Blog Archive » Brain Blogging, Second Edition Mon, 05 Feb 2007 22:25:46 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-10842 [...] Isabella Mori presents the stigma of mental illness posted at change therapy. [...] [...] Isabella Mori presents the stigma of mental illness posted at change therapy. [...]

]]> By: isabella mori http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-8097 isabella mori Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:40:08 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-8097 thank you for a beautiful comment, bonnie! you are so right. indeed, yesterday i heard someone say, "the answer to all my problems is acceptance". similar to you, i also believe that we all live on a continuum of mental health, and we all move along that continuum. and, what's really interesting and somewhat paradoxical: i would say that some people who have diagnoses of mental illnesses can be quite a bit more mentally healthy than those who are not. perhaps once one is forced to look into the strange workings of our minds and emotions, there is more awareness, specifically of how precious a serene and accepting outlook on life really is. thank you for a beautiful comment, bonnie! you are so right. indeed, yesterday i heard someone say, “the answer to all my problems is acceptance”.

similar to you, i also believe that we all live on a continuum of mental health, and we all move along that continuum. and, what’s really interesting and somewhat paradoxical: i would say that some people who have diagnoses of mental illnesses can be quite a bit more mentally healthy than those who are not.

perhaps once one is forced to look into the strange workings of our minds and emotions, there is more awareness, specifically of how precious a serene and accepting outlook on life really is.

]]> By: Bonnie Wing http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/comment-page-1/#comment-8048 Bonnie Wing Sun, 14 Jan 2007 07:31:59 +0000 http://www.moritherapy.org/article/the-stigma-of-mental-illness/#comment-8048 I think every one of us is mentally ill. After all, what is the norm? We all deviate from it to a certain extent, some of us more than others, some of us more able to hide it than others, some of us taking medication, nutritionals or therapy to keep it at bay, some of us not caring to hide it at all, some of us thinking we ARE normal. Once we can accept that we are NOT normal, and neither is anyone else, the question is not if we are mentally ill, but is "Who will accept us the way we are?" We will change if we are able, but in the mean time we need acceptance. Acceptance of our quirks and foibles, of what we were born with, what we were born into, and of what circumstances gave us. Once we have the acceptance of others it is much easier to deal with our illnesses and challenges. Acceptance is one of the best gifts you can give, and you can give it to your parents, your children, your friends, your co-workers, and even to those you don't know. And it's free. Thank you to those who have made my life more comfortable by not causing me the stress of trying to change the way I am. I think every one of us is mentally ill. After all, what is the norm? We all deviate from it to a certain extent, some of us more than others, some of us more able to hide it than others, some of us taking medication, nutritionals or therapy to keep it at bay, some of us not caring to hide it at all, some of us thinking we ARE normal. Once we can accept that we are NOT normal, and neither is anyone else, the question is not if we are mentally ill, but is “Who will accept us the way we are?”

We will change if we are able, but in the mean time we need acceptance. Acceptance of our quirks and foibles, of what we were born with, what we were born into, and of what circumstances gave us. Once we have the acceptance of others it is much easier to deal with our illnesses and challenges. Acceptance is one of the best gifts you can give, and you can give it to your parents, your children, your friends, your co-workers, and even to those you don’t know. And it’s free.

Thank you to those who have made my life more comfortable by not causing me the stress of trying to change the way I am.

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