Grey Matters

Discrimination against people with mental illness is all too prevalent, but what does someone do when someone in your family is being stigmatized by their own family members? 

A member of the family, we’ll call him the Father, was diagnosed with schizophrenia approximately fifteen years ago, but it wasn’t until this week that his sister was given that information.  They live across the country from each other and and don’t see each other often, but the sister has always know that her brother was “quirky.”  She knew he was brilliant and that he had scored very high on a IQ test while in high school and always considered him a genius.  Over the last several years she often wondered if her brother had a mental illness diagnosis, but no one else in the family thought it possible.  That is, no one besides her sister-in-law who finally shared the information after living with him for over twenty years and raising a family. 

The sister, who believes that mental illness should not be kept in the closet and needs to be spoken about feels frustrated and saddened by her brother’s family’s inability to share openly an illness that needs to be discussed.  It is the first step in reducing stigma.

All that can be done  is to encourage the family to be open.  This is an issue that they must come to grips with on their own, but here are some suggestions (some from the www.nami.org website) to anyone interested in reducing mental illness stigma. 

Use of Language is Most Important

•  Protest usage of single words like “crazy” “psycho” “wacko” or “loony” unless they refer directly to individuals struggling with mental illnesses or to the illness itself.
•  ”Schizophrenic” to describe a split decision made by Congress or any organization has become part of our cultural language. However, its misuse is being heard and corrected by many in the public arena.
•  Protest calling a person a “schizophrenic”: NAMI policy calls for PEOPLE FIRST: people, persons, individuals with a mental illness, schizophrenia, bipolar, clinical depression, OCD, panic disorder.

Above all else, get educated and know that mental illness, like any other illness is a biological disorder;  it can be successfully treated and recovery is more than possible, it’s probable.  Ignorance has caused people to abandon their family members and encouraged the person with the diagnosis to isolate themselves. 

Just like a person living with cancer or diabetes, a person with mental illness needs support and acceptance from their family and friends. 

There is a genetic predisposition, so everyone in the family needs to know what the symptoms and “red flags” are.  Sometimes is takes years, even decades before a person is diagnosed.  It is proven than the earlier a person receives treatment, the better the outcome.

Encourage our legislators to treat mental illnesses with parity so that insurance coverage is equal for mental illnesses with physical illnesses.

Bottom line is we need to accept people for who they are, with or without any illness and be there to support and encourage them as equal human beings.