If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know how much I value talking about mental illness. I do it in my blog. And I strongly advocate conversation as a way to confront stigma. Here is an article about doing so. http://bit.ly/1neZJC6. This gentleman took two risks in discussing his illness. First he spoke to his boss. If you read the article, you know that he had a job that involves public presentations and social interaction. So, his fear was that his boss would fire him for having a social anxiety disorder. Seems like a reasonable fear to me. When people share information in a work setting about mental health problems, they do end up dealing with stigma many times. That's a big part of the reason people fear to share. Luckily, he appears to have an enlightened boss. Instead of firing him, she helped him work out an area that had a huge impact...his exhaustion after making one of those presentations. She made an accommodation. Which means that she still gets the benefit of a good employee. And he keeps a job he clearly values. Win-win.
Unfortunately, not every experience with sharing about mental illness results in such an enlightened response. People do lose jobs. The workplace isn't always comfortable for people who are open about 'weaknesses'. Many mentally ill people can identify times when openness had consequences. Job loss. Friends and family who judge and pull away. Sometimes, people discount what a mentally ill person experiences by telling them to just pull themselves together. Many mentally ill people can identify conversations with loved ones and friends that are judgmental and shaming.
If you have experience with this, do you remember how those conversations left you feeling?
Finally, he took a bigger risk. He shared the story publicly. As part of a planned day of sharing in the UK. He wrote a blog. Of course, there is a lot of prejudice out there. But the only way through the prejudice is through talking about it. That is the basic idea behind my blog. Talking normalizes experiences. People learn from listening to each other. They also learn from taking a risk and sharing. Have you considered sharing your experience? Whether in a 1:1 conversation or in a blog, there is something tremendously freeing about sharing who we are in all our realness and humanity. Such conversation can lead to self-acceptance. And to healing. What do you think? Can we carry the day of sharing forward? Let's find the courage together. Take a risk in a way that feels comfortable to you first. Talk to me or someone you trust. Then start sharing with others. You are you. Not your illness. And knowing you have the power to defeat stigma is important. #just talk and #we can do it together
Unfortunately, not every experience with sharing about mental illness results in such an enlightened response. People do lose jobs. The workplace isn't always comfortable for people who are open about 'weaknesses'. Many mentally ill people can identify times when openness had consequences. Job loss. Friends and family who judge and pull away. Sometimes, people discount what a mentally ill person experiences by telling them to just pull themselves together. Many mentally ill people can identify conversations with loved ones and friends that are judgmental and shaming.
If you have experience with this, do you remember how those conversations left you feeling?
Finally, he took a bigger risk. He shared the story publicly. As part of a planned day of sharing in the UK. He wrote a blog. Of course, there is a lot of prejudice out there. But the only way through the prejudice is through talking about it. That is the basic idea behind my blog. Talking normalizes experiences. People learn from listening to each other. They also learn from taking a risk and sharing. Have you considered sharing your experience? Whether in a 1:1 conversation or in a blog, there is something tremendously freeing about sharing who we are in all our realness and humanity. Such conversation can lead to self-acceptance. And to healing. What do you think? Can we carry the day of sharing forward? Let's find the courage together. Take a risk in a way that feels comfortable to you first. Talk to me or someone you trust. Then start sharing with others. You are you. Not your illness. And knowing you have the power to defeat stigma is important. #just talk and #we can do it together
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