Well, this was part of what was on our test today for 2nd year university abnormal psychology. Anyways, there is still a lot of stigma both to mental illnesses in general, as well as to certain ones more than others. Also, gender has a huge effect on mental health stigma. For example, we had to read a paper for the test by Wirth and Bodenhausen (2009) regarding gender's effect on mental health stigma. To give the short version, gender atypical symptoms got more help. For example, they use the stigma that males are more of alcoholic abusers and females are more of depression. If a male was an alcoholic, fewer wanted to help (same with females for depression). But, if a male is depressed or female is alcoholic, people are more willing to help because it's perceived to be out of the person's control. Sounds silly but that is what the outcome was. Same thing with people wanting to help but not deal with substance abusers, schizophrenia or mood disorders, although if given a choice, they pick females because they're thought to be less dangerous.

It's not taken as well as physical illnesses, and I find it rather silly. Many of the mental disorders do indeed have a biological explanation, hence, physical yet it's still not taken very well. That much I don't understand...

One problem definately is the media. Movies and documenting certain disorders give people a wrong idea, yet they're too uneducated on it to think otherwise. Solution: change the media's broadcasts (doubtful) or educate people (which is happening).

The treatments and stigma has indeed changed, although, from I think 1950/1960 to 1996, there was a 2.5x increase in stigma. Whether it's going better or not is hard to say. The more people know the truth and are educated, the better and hopefully less stigmatization occurs. I know one statement people have made to me was "you're not normal". To that, I laugh, call them a hypocrite. Put everyone on a bell-curve for everything, and everyone, for at least 1 thing, will be abnormal.

There was another study, have to get the exact name and date, but regardless it showed abnormal is almost the norm: 49.1% have some disorder. Why is it still stigmatized? Media, uneducation, etc... .

It makes no sense to me, as everyone is abnormal. Here's an example: take your hand and look at it. 5 fingers per hand? Bravo, it's a mutation. Human ancestors initially had multiple fingers so polydactyly (more than 5 fingers/toes) is almost like reverse evolution.

People who go about and give this stigma I just laugh. There are tons of things wrong with even the healthiest human. It's how we are built, nobody is completely normal, everyone is abnormal for something. Just many I think don't ever think of that, they just judge.

One other one, which I recently faced, is about a paper I'm doing for abnormal psychology on Dr. Hare's book on psychopaths: Without Conscience. Someone said to me, "but all psychopaths are killers". WRONG. Many are not, the few in the news that do killings indeed are but the majority aren't. They're capable but they don't. Another one was something along the lines of "we should make a large building for psychos, keep them all locked up, only need a few dozen beds for all of North America". WRONG. Over 2 million psychopaths in North America.

I think it's just due to uneducation, stubborness to learn that they're wrong, and the media is no help either.