Have you had to endure Stigma or Disc... - Mental Health Sup...
Have you had to endure Stigma or Discrimination because of your depression? And has this stopped you from asking for help?
Yes, I guess in several ways. Firstly when I was younger from family and friends. Family stigma very much made it difficult to ask for help when you're told to "pull your socks up" or that "you're not trying hard enough" or that you're just being "selfish".
As an adult, I've faced stigma by having a disabled bus pass and bus drivers tutting and glaring at you as if they're saying "what on earth have you got that for". I've faced discrimination within the psychiatric system because when you're seen to have complex problems and issues you're made to feel that you're not worth bothering about, when really all they need to say to you is that treating you is just very difficult but that we still care about you. It stops you speaking to the very professionals who are supposed to be helping you at the time.
I've faced stigma in A&E for self-harm issues.
There may be some more examples but I can't think of them just now, but I do volunteer for See Me Scotland seemescotland.org as a volunteer speaker and media spokesperson. Which is great, as their campaign is all about stamping out Stigma 
Hi Cazie.
Sounds like you have had a lot to deal with over the years and I can relate to that thanks for sharing.
I have faced stigma and it is not a nice experience you really learn who your true friends are when you are dealing with mental health issues. There is a lot of misunderstanding out there regarding mental health and all stigma does is make people who are suffering with an illness suffer in silence which makes things a lot worse.
As if the stigma is not bad enough we also get discriminated against again due to misconception of mental health. There are some good campaigns out there at the moment which is good because the more knowledge and awareness there will hopefully reduce the stigma and discrimination.
Definitely. I found that whilst depressed even the people closest to me, and even ones who years ago had suicidal depression, didn't understand how I couldn't "snap out of it" or thought that it was a way of attention seeking.
Even now I am scared to mention it in further education interviews because of the stigma attached to it - people believe that it demonstrates weakness and a tendency towards poor mental health as opposed to the "incredibly character-building" but horrendous time that I see it as.
I also find that my loved ones panic when I'm simply just tired after a 12 hour shift because they think unless I'm 100% "on" and chirpy now, that I'm "slipping back into it".
However the truth is that no matter what people think, depression was the hardest thing I've ever had to face in my life but it's also made me a lot stronger.. and regardless of how it's seen, I'm incredibly grateful that I've learnt from it.
