How YOU Can Help Break the Stigma Around Mental Health

At face value, I appear as a person that has everything together. I run a successful company, I am a Chartered Director, a published author, and a mom. I am a leader in my community and a mental health advocate. How could I possibly have any experience with stigma or mental illness?

The true story is something else. Like many, I have struggled with my mental health for many years - ever since struggling with postpartum depression after the birth of my first child in 2007. It took me many years to come to terms with the fact that I needed help.

When I had my son I was twenty-five years old. Old enough to have an established career, a husband, and a home. I was a practicing registered nurse at the time and I had prepared myself as best I could to become a mother.

To me, one of the most difficult things about mental illness is that it is so incredibly HARD to see when you begin spiralling. My PPD was something that ate away at me, bit by bit.

There was no one thing that caused my depression. It was the culmination of many events. I had gone from being an extremely capable Registered Nurse - working on a fast-paced surgical ward and managing 10 to 15 acute patients at a time - to a woman that could not focus on anything more than making sure that my baby was fed and clean. ANYTHING more than that seemed too big a task to handle. I withdrew from everyone and stayed in my house in an attempt to curb my fear and anxiety.

So, what would prevent a person like me from getting the help I needed?

One word: STIGMA

The stigma associated with admitting that I was a struggling new mom and that I needed help, was overpowering. I'd already had a lot of experience feeling the judgment of others. That kind of negative energy is like cancer, eating away at your soul.

According to the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) stigma is when prejudice and discrimination make a person feel unwanted and shamed. Prejudice is when we judge or feel hostile to a person or group, or their presumed characteristics. Discrimination is an act of prejudice1.

Now I'm going to throw something at you that I really want you to think about.

Where is it indicated that there is a demographic who are NOT subject to stigma? Who are SAFE from mental illness? Mental illness does not discriminate and ANYONE can suffer from time to time.

Often, we think of those suffering from mental illness as more vulnerable members of the community, those with a disability, or in financial trouble. Society has come a long way in the past decade to shed light on the fact that many times those that are homeless or need financial assistance have mental health challenges - and they need help.

However, what this has also done is made it seem like those that are well off, or white, or able-bodied could not possibly struggle with their mental health.

Think of Robin Williams - the actor. He appeared to have everything together. He presented as a wonderful, happy, easy going individual. Inside he struggled with his mental health for decades. We all know how that turned out.

According to CAMH one in five people in Canada struggle with mental illness1.

People suffering from mental illness are the same people that you interact with every day. You never know who may be struggling. And no one deserves to struggle alone. Everyone deserves help.

So, how can you help? You can start by helping to break the stigma surrounding mental health. If we can continue to break the stigma, to break down the barriers preventing those in need from utilizing the resources they require, and to normalize the conversation around mental health - imagine the change we could see in the world.

My goal in life is to leave the world a better place than it was when I entered it.

With that in mind, I wrote my memoir - a stark, honest depiction of my journey with postpartum depression. I've also decided to start this blog. There are so many on social media that show 'perfection' - it gives young people the impression that their own imperfect life is not good enough. The truth is real life is NOT perfect. I believe it's important to see real people. Authentic people. People that are willing to show their imperfections, and embrace them as part of their journey. People that are just like you and me.

Seeing regular people succeeding despite battling mental illness is the BEST way to accept that mental illness is a NORMAL part of being human. Once we normalize mental illness, we will have succeeded in breaking the stigma around it.

Until next time………………………………………………………..XO-JGF

1 - https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/stigma