[googley]

Hi, I'm not quite sure this is the right place to post this but it didn't seem to really go anywhere else. The other day I was at the hair dresser and it came up that I was a support staff in a psychiatry department. People started asking how I deal with those "crazy" people and if those nuts were making up their stories of their illness. They wanted to know how people were made mentally ill and how someone could all of the sudden get PTSD. I know that they were just ignorant to the issues of mental illness and they weren't meaning to be insulting, however, I found it very hard to have this discussion with them. I tried to educate them on mental illness and include a variety of theories around the development of mental illness and how it is just like any other illness. It was hard though especially their opinions about PTSD since I have it. What do other people deal with this when it comes up in casual conversation with people who do not know about your mental illness? I find that these situations just make me so mad! These situations remind me of how much stigma is still out there and how much I feel I have to keep quite about my problems whereas someone who had a purely physical disorder would not necessairly face the same stigma about it. I always fear that if it were to get out that it could ruin my job prospects as I hope to not stay in my same job forever.

[madisgram]

this is just how i see it...the stigma is caused by ignorance or lack thereof of educating oneself about mental illness. it's like they are afraid of catching it if they know too much.
i avoid as much as possible talking about MI with norms. in your case u could have said, hey i'm off the clock, let's talk about something else.
well yes you had good intentions when you attempted to educate those people but unfortunately many ppl have preconceived notions about MI and our educating them won't help to much. the exception perhaps would a one-on-one or in a public forum.
i keep my dx's very close to my chest cause exposing this info to most ppl can cause me great distress seeing the reactions.
my son some years ago would be upset that i was bipolar and i asked him, if i was hooked up to chemo would this bother you as much? his silence made me know i had hit a home run.
hope this helps...

[ECHOES]

As my T told me about therapy... some people just don't "get it".

You did what you could. You can lead a horse to water... but you can't make them drink.. likewise you can tell someone about something but you can't make them understand or accept or embrace it, if they won't open their minds.

[splitimage]

Stigma is definitely still a big issue. I remember when I went inpatient to a psych hospital, and I told my sponsor, that she'd make sure nobody in my home group knew where I was. This is the same home group that knows a great deal about the stupid things I did while drinking, so it's not like anything can embarrass me in front of them any more - except in her mind MI.

I know disclosing can be risky, but in my view the only way to fight stigma is to talk about it. I'm open at work about the fact that I'm in AA and they know I see a pdoc once a month, because I'm late for work but they don't know my Dx. I'll probably tell them eventually. My previous employer knew about my mental health history and I was never discriminated against at work.

When I speak at AA I always mention my MH history and treatment because dealing with those issues and getting appropriate treatment was a big part of my recovery. Not many AA speakers do this. But I always get people coming up to me afterwards thanking me and sharing their own mental health issues.

But I have to admit, I lied about the year I took off to deal with my addiction and MI when I was job hunting. There's no way I'd disclose during the job hunting process.

---splitimage

I dont know if I have just been lucky or if its the way I look when I say it but so far I have only had positive feedback.

I am very open about my illness and if they ask if I work I say no I am ill I suffer from severe depression plus a few other things, they seem quite happy with that and are willing to talk about it most even point out that they or a member of their family also suffers !

So far so good, fingers crossed and all that.....

[AAAAA]

Some people really don't get it.

[Junerain]

I would practice my assertiveness training in this case, and even the use of a little drama. I might say, so to the person who has a physically imbalanced brain chemicals, who did not ask for this imbalance, who has been in and out of the hospital their entire life, who is simply trying to live a productive life like anyone else, is trying to pursue a little happiness of their own, would you say these ignorant things to their face? I sincerely hope not.

Wow, that felt good just typing that out

GO JUNERAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol ......

I think thats why no one is nasty or rude to me about it as I say in a very forthright manner that I am a depressive and also have a condition caused by abuse early on in my life.

I am confrontational from the outset and as I said have so far only met nice replys and honesty from others.

[lizardlady]

I agree with madisgram, that most stigma comes from ignorance and preconceived ideas.

Having said that, I am a licensed mental health therapist. I have nerver and will never disclose my dx to my employer or co-workers because it's way too likely to come back to bite me. It burns my backside that there's so much prejudice in the field about practioners with MI issues from other professionals. My symptoms are under control following years of therapy and with meds. I understand not wanting people working in the field who are impaired by their illness, but for those of us who are stable I think it's the height of prejudice!

[Eagle3]

Already been stated here but it is very true. Ignorance and lack of understanding is why we face this. I think awareness of mental health issues has gotten much better in recent years but not where most of us are comfortable. At least now it is seen as a medical condition. Years ago even the medical community saw it as crazy.