Breaking Stigma and Normalising Mental Health

Ahead of World Mental Health Day (10 October) around the theme of “Mental Health in an Unequal World”, we held a Stress Matters session brainstorm where we asked our clients how we could break mental health stigma and what they wanted to see changed in society.

This is what they said:

How can we look to reduce the stigma around mental health ourselves:

• Talking about it when it’s appropriate and to the right people.
• Share experiences where appropriate.
• Reduce the comedy element when sharing about your own experiences.
• Watch your language e.g avoid using terms like “nuts”, “crazy” about yourself.
• COVID has helped us to begin the conversation around mental health
• Don’t be ashamed about your illness /diagnosis
• Become educated around mental health issues
• Where necessary report discrimination to employers
• Don’t over compare yourself to others
• Look to gain support from others

What would we like to see happen more in the world to normalise mental illness:

• Talk about it in society as if it’s the same as anything else e.g a mental health issue should be no more embarrassing to talk about than a broken wrist.
• Films and TV programmes need to change and stop portraying people with mental health issues as “bad and dangerous”.
• Schools need to educate pupils more sensibly and realistically.
• Better education on specific illnesses e.g paranoia.
• More understanding and flexibility by employers to be inclusive.
• Education around perceived threats around mental health issues.
• Choose language and terminology carefully – avoiding terms like mental illness and using mental or emotional health instead.
• Recovery stories of real people taken into schools and colleges.
• Celebrities talking about their recoveries.
• Mental health buildings to be more welcoming.

Want to blog for us?

We’re always keen to share mental health stories or give a platform to anyone wanting to share thoughts and educate others about mental health or wellbeing. If you’d like to write a blog or create a video blog for us, you don’t have to be an expert at it, we can coach you through it! Just get in touch at connie@maryfrancestrust.org.uk

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