A new year is almost upon us, with its annual promise of a bright (or, at least, brighter) future. It is a time, also, when we feel compelled to make resolutions to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. According to Meriam-Webster.com, the practice of making such resolutions extends back to at least the 17th century, although another site (History.com) suggests that the model was set thousands of years ago, when people made promises to their gods at the start of their new year in order to ensure a fruitful future. Wherever and whenever the practice was begun, most of us continue to make resolutions each year that show our desire to attempt positive changes (although my wife has suggested that my annual pledge to eat more lasagna doesn’t really fit the spirit of New Year’s resolutions).
Consistent with my past musings about stigma related to mental health conditions, I would like to urge readers to include in their lists of resolutions some that could help to reduce that stigma. I will be discussing in this blog entry, then, simple things each of us might resolve to do (and, more importantly, actually do) in 2026 to help reduce stigma. I offer, then, the following (adapted from my book, Telling Is Risky Business):
Six resolutions to help reduce stigma
Resolve to look beyond stereotypes about mental health conditions.
As noted previously, negative stereotypes about mental health conditions and treatment abound in media and society. We need, then, to recognize that each of us may have been influenced by those pervasive inaccurate stereotypes, to understand how those stereotypes may be affecting our thoughts and behaviors, and to strive to look beyond them. We need to keep in mind that knowing someone has a mental health condition does not inform us about the person’s character and values, their potential for recovery, or their capacity for friendship or creativity and accomplishment. Resisting the stereotypes that may cloud our thinking about mental health conditions is an important step in reducing stigma.
Resolve to learn more about mental health conditions.
To the extent that we are better informed about mental health conditions, we may be better able to recognize and resist the inaccurate negative stereotypes that abound. Greater knowledge may also contribute to a better understanding of how to recognize and respond to mental health conditions when they occur. Fortunately, there are many organizations that strive to provide clear and accurate information about mental health conditions. Mental Health Connecticut is one such organization. Others include Mental Health America, NAMI, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Although each of these may have biases that color the information they provide, they are generally more reliable than random internet postings. There are also organizations/websites devoted to specific mental health conditions—eating disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar and depressive disorders, etc.—that can provide focused information about those conditions. Some of these mentioned organizations also provide helplines and referrals for individuals and families dealing with such conditions.
Listen to people who have lived with mental health conditions
Experts and advocates who tell us about mental health conditions have important information to convey. But they are usually looking at those conditions from the outside. People who have lived with mental health conditions are in a unique position to tell us more fully how these conditions—and stigma–affect their lives. They can go beyond clinical descriptions of symptoms and describe what they experience, how they deal with their situations, and what they think is important for others to know. Increasingly, people with mental health conditions have provided their stories—through writing and speaking, online and in print. This includes best-selling books like Darkness Visible (by Pulitzer Prize winner William Styron), An Unquiet Mind (by MacArthur Fellowship recipient Kay Redfield Jamison), and The Center Cannot Hold (by USC law professor Elyn Saks). For those more inclined to listening than reading, these authors, and others I have not mentioned, also tell their stories online, through TED talks and YouTube videos. In addition, there are organizations developed and run by people who have lived with mental health conditions that provide their perspectives through both information and public speaking. These include the National Empowerment Center and National Mental Health Consumers Self-Help Clearinghouse. Mental Health Connecticut offers individual stories on their website as part of its Let’s Face It initiatives. To rephrase one of the sayings of that famous purveyor of everyday wisdom, Yogi Berra, “You can hear a lot just by listening.”
Resolve to be more careful to avoid stigmatizing language.
Most of us, including mental health professionals and advocates, sometimes use terms and expressions that may perpetuate stigma, as I have noted in a previous blog article. We use slang terms to disparage, for example, underscoring the negative connotations of those labels. We may suggest that the person who has political ideas different from our own is a “lunatic,” with “crazy” ideas. We may refer to others as “nut jobs” or “cray-cray” if we find them eccentric or annoying. We also may refer to people by their diagnostic labels—schizophrenic, bipolar, depressive, obsessive-compulsive—rather than use People First references. “A person with….” shows greater recognition that a mental health condition is just a part of a multifaceted individual and that psychiatric labels tell us little about the uniqueness and strengths of the individual who has such a condition. Avoiding stigmatizing language can avoid contributing to negative views and show greater respect for people in our audiences for whom thoughtless references may have painful personal relevance.
Resolve to talk openly about mental health.
The more mental health conditions remain hidden, the more people may believe they are rare, shameful, and need to be concealed. Speaking openly about mental health conditions shows that they can be spoken of without shame or embarrassment. It also provides evidence that mental health conditions are not confined to those who are that different from the rest of us. Helping others learn that those with mental health conditions are people whom they know, whose families they know, and who do not fit the negative stereotypes is a powerful way to fight stigma. In addition, those who talk openly about their mental health conditions may find it empowering and may find that others resonate with their experiences in a positive way rather than turn away from them. As noted previously, mental health conditions are far from rare, and disclosure of personal or family encounters with mental health conditions may well generate a supportive conversation about the challenges of such conditions in your listeners’ own network of friends, relatives, and co-workers. A fulfilled resolution to talk more openly may, then, have benefits for both individuals and society.
Resolve to provide support for organizations that fight stigma.
I have repeatedly mentioned organizations that address mental health needs and challenge stigma. Most of these are non-profits that scramble to find the financial resources they need to continue their work. Many also rely heavily on the passion and effort of volunteers. We can assist them by joining one or more of those organizations, volunteering our time and energy to help with their activities, or, if nothing else, donating money. A successful resolution to support mental health and stigma-fighting organizations will help these organizations continue their important work.
The suggestions above, of course, are hardly an exhaustive list of helpful things one might resolve to do. But they are relatively simple ones that could nevertheless contribute to reducing stigma and making the world a more understanding and hospitable place for people with mental health conditions. I hope one or more of the above suggestions will find their way to your New Year’s Resolution list.
Otto Wahl, Ph.D.
MHCT Development Committee Member
