Social Stigma

Often times in society, mental illness takes on a negative stigma. Society does not fully understand mental illness therefore they do not understand those that are affected by mental illness. Schizophrenia is often called a psychotic disorder, which means that people with schizophrenia have periods when they lose touch with reality and exhibit various kinds of psychotic symptoms.

These symptoms are grouped into three categories positive, negative, and psychomotor (Comer 2016). Positive symptoms are pathological excesses and they include hallucinations and disorganized thinking and speech (Comer 2016). Whereas negative symptoms are pathological deficits which include loss of violation and social withdrawal (Comer 2016). Psychomotor symptoms are awkward moments and odd gestures that people suffering with schizophrenia sometimes experience (Comer 2016).

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behaviour and failure to recognize what is real. Common symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory hallucinations, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and inactivity. A person with schizophrenia often hears voices, experiences delusions and hallucinations and may believe thoughts, feelings and actions are controlled or shared by someone else.

Throughout the many years, there have been many negative public perceptions of Schizophrenia, which is known by majority of the public as an indication of mental illness. This disorder is most of the time perceived by the public as caused by psychological factors. People with this mental illness are considered to be unpredictable and threatening (Angermeyer & Matschinger, 2003, p. 526). Most patients have a behavioural dysfunction. Victims, families and society carry a substantial burden due to this illness (Wood & Freedman, 2003).

For starters, schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can be devastating to the person and their family. Some symptoms of the illness includes: hearing voices, hallucinations, delusions of others in their head, and erratic behavior. These symptoms can be a big problem for the person, but sadly many people misjudge the illness or the people with it, leading the one with it to be abused by people, drugs, alcohol, and even themselves. Although, it seems to be human behavior to judge those who are different. Racial discrimination, those with illnesses, what people look like, these are just a few of the examples of how humans judge one another. After conducting research it is clear that some serious

What is a social stigma? A social stigma is disapproval of a person or group based on characteristic grounds that are perceived, and serve to distinguish them. The social stigma of race is a worldwide problem, in which I think everyone I have encountered has had some kind of racial slur thrown at him or her. Living on the Cheyenne Reservation this is one critical issue among everyone, including elders and teens.

In 1968 the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) updated the definition of schizophrenia to include hostility, aggressiveness, and lack of acceptance of oneself. The next social, or cultural influence is that of stigma against mental illness in our daily lives. These attitudes play on decisions made in our lives that affect the larger world. In a recent poll released by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) finds misconceptions to be prominent by American society. “Slightly more than 70 percent of those surveyed would be afraid for their own safety around a person who has not received treatment for schizophrenia, and 21 percent would be afraid for their own safety around a person who had been treated for the disorder, according to the results” (American Psychiatric Association, 2011).

People with mental illness are experiencing a lot of stigma and judgment from the society, they are judged for not being able to fit into their societal roles. Schizophrenia is one form of mental illness that is not as often researched or understood as other mental illness such as depression or anxiety disorder. Individuals that are diagnosed with schizophrenia in our society are dealing with a lot of prejudice and discrimination, which causes them to distant themselves from society. Stigma imposed by societal norms can affect the social identity of individuals with mental illness; this can be seen by the example of individuals with schizophrenia.

There is a lot of misunderstood stigmas regarding eating disorders that can delay someone from getting the treatment that they need. Most people only notice a person has a problem if they have bulimia or anorexia that causes them to slowly take on a skeletal form from not getting enough nutrition. But there are many other eating disorders that cause the opposite to happen, such as Binge Eating Disorder. The age that a person can begin to have symptoms can also vary well past the teenage years. Many adults suffer needlessly because no one notices what is happening to them. It is the people who are the closest to the person with the eating disorder that can see that something is definitely wrong, though. And because of this, they can help fight the disease in several different ways.

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder creating a split from reality. Furthermore, the Schizophrenics cannot decipher reality from fantasy. Just as depression is the common cold of psychology; Schizophrenia is like the cancer of psychology. Sufferers from this disease have often been shunned, neglected, and locked up in mental institutions. Humans tend to fear what they do not understand in each other whether an uncle or some stranger on the bus.

It is really a shame that the fear of stigma can cause people to avoid treatment. Over the past couple years, I had the honor of making friends from all over the world, many in the UK. As expected when dealing with a large group of teenaged girls, quite a few were struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety. It was such a shame that when I suggested therapy, they looked at me in a horrible and embarrassed way. They went on desperately ‘convincing me’ they are not crazy people who needed therapy! Even the few who saw my point of view, going to therapy was out of the question because they were afraid of what other people (even their own parents and close friends!) would think about them. This stigma seems to be slowing going away. Hopefully,

There are many stigmas, or misconceptions and misperceptions in our society which need to be shattered. I believe that one of the worse possible effects of stigma is that it causes those affected by psychological disorders, or mental illness, to crawl more deeply into themselves because it provokes a sense of shame. Stigma thrusts those suffering with mental illness into a sense of isolation, social exclusion, and discrimination. “Stigma can lead to discrimination … It may be obvious or direct … Or it may be unintentional or subtle…” (Staff). Stigma is often as big as the illness itself and I confess to having been a perpetuator of this dreaded thing, although not consciously aware and without the intent of furthering the harm of someone.

People with schizophrenia often isolate themselves for being different. Society judges people a lot for being different and often find ways to degrade and isolate them. By doing this, it can make

It could be said that each member of society must uphold their mental and physical health to produce an orderly, functional society. Thus, is it possible for modern society to have developed an aversion to mental illness? The paradigm that, those who have fallen ill to an unseen sickness of the mind are somehow weak, dangerous, crazy, lacking in moral character, or hopeless has permeated modern society and been ingrained into the cultural beliefs. First, I will be examining the existence of the social stigma against psychology, and second, I will investigate possible motivations or reasoning for the stigma.

Schizophrenia makes it almost impossible to distinguish between delusions and reality, giving an altered perception of reality. Schizophrenics seem eccentric and emotionless, and with time they become reclusive and isolated. This leads to hallucinations and delusions such as being spied on. They become reluctant to use credit cards or to go out of the house for fear of being abducted. They start neglecting their appearance and become withdrawn from their families. Psychologically, the society might have a negative perception of people with schizophrenia and may not be willing to be patient and be understanding when dealing with