Mental Health Stigma Varies Between Disorders

We tend to think of mental health stigma as a blanket statement, but the reality of the situation is that it’s really not. Different mental health disorders face different versions of mental health stigma. I came to this conclusion recently as I realized that although I’ve overcome the stigma I felt for Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder (dermatillomania), I still let the stigma of my depression and anxiety overcome me.

The variations of mental health stigma

Although I speak pretty openly online and even in person about dermatillomania, I have a hell of a lot of trouble asking for help when it comes to the other two, especially depression.

There have been so many times I’ve been asked “How are you doing?” and my immediate response is always “Good” or “Fine” or some variation. The words fall out of my mouth before the rest of me can even catch up. The problem is what I should really be saying is “I’m struggling” or “I’m not doing well today.”

I can chalk up the stigma that comes with my skin picking to sheer ignorance. Most people have never heard of the disorder and don’t know what it is. While that’s still not okay, it’s more excusable on some level. With something like depression, there has been a lot of, at the very least, basic information about it out in the public and media for years, yet people still don’t get it.

The stigma of depression

From what I can tell, people still look at depression as if it is a choice (Stop Minimizing Mental Illness). Someone should just choose to be happy and depression will magically disappear. What they don’t realize is even of the happiest people can feel depression, and moreover that depression isn’t always sadness. Sometimes it’s lackluster. Sometimes it’s the struggle to just do anything. Sometimes it’s being completely numb, despite any other emotion present. It manifests differently for everyone.

People still don’t see depression for what it is, even with all the information known. While it’s still a form of ignorance, it’s ignorance in the wake of information.

So even if I say I’m struggling, I still might be met with people telling me to cheer up, try harder, or that I have nothing to be upset about. People are fond of reminding us that someone else has it worse, after all.

Yes, someone else probably does have it worse, but that doesn’t take away from my pain and it doesn’t do anything to help my situation. By this logic, as some other brilliant mind has pointed out (I unfortunately don’t know who), people who are happy shouldn’t be unhappy because someone obviously has it better.

Sounds ridiculous, right? That’s because it is.