"Every single person who has a mental illness is categorically a weak person" /unspoken and silent forms of mental health stigma

[Nonoanddefintelyno]

Almost like its okay to struggle with your mental health as long as its just fleeting anxiety or feeling low for a couple of days but as soon as someone experiences full blown panic attacks or has depressive episodes which last for months at a time, if someone is unable to cope with their mental health without the aid of prescription medications, if someone cries a lot or feels upset about how their mental health is getting to them, then we dont want to accept or have empathy for people in those specific scenarios. I feel like there is still a strong "always positive, always mentally strong and always resilient" culture when it comes to mental illness and experiencing trauma, and it makes me feel like therefore it is inherently disgusting or shameful to show vulnerability in front of other people.

How old are you OP? Admittedly there is still some stigma but it is so much less than it has ever been. I remember dealing with serious mental illness since the early 1990s and desperately trying to cover it up so that it didn’t ruin my career.
It seems to be trendy nowadays to “have MH” or panic attacks and anxiety and broadcast it to the world. It trivialises the suffering of those with serious MH issues.

What’s wrong with admitting a weakness? We are all imperfect. We have strengths and weaknesses. We may be mentally iron clad but suffer a physical illness. We may be physically well but suffer a mental illness.

It is what it is. Anything that makes life harder is a weakness. Sometimes we develop strengths to compensate or compliment- greater patience or empathy. But the initial problem is a weakness. It just is.

Respectfully OP, I really don’t think this is the case anymore.

Saying this as someone with an SMI (severe mental illness) who’s been in hospital numerous times… and as a mental health professional who sees all sorts of people daily who have severe MH issues.

I’m not sure it is a weakness as it could take a person with MH issues a lot more strength and willpower to get through the day than someone without those types of struggle.

Well I don’t think that at all. I had a serious psychotic episode, was sectioned, suspected onset of schizophrenia and I battled my way back to sanity.

I can tell you that is not weakness. I went to the outer edges of the human mind and past it, and not only lived to tell the tale but managed a full no relapse unmedicated recovery. That’s a lot of strength and I am really proud of it.

And no that doesn’t mean people who can’t recover, or are on medication are weak. I don’t think of them as that. But I am not going to downplay the strength it takes to make that kind of journey and the work I had to do.

This

That’s why I said we develop other strengths to complement or balance it. Someone whose upper body strength is awesome because they use a self propelled wheelchair and transfer themselves still has the weakness of the disability in their lower body.

We can claw ourselves back to functional, displaying great determination and a range of strategies, but we generally still have the original issue that causes us problems. We get those strengths as well as the initial tendency to whatever health issue we suffer. Honestly I’d rather not be tenacious, determined and have a huge range of strategies for all situations. I’d rather not have that illness in the first place.

I see what you are saying now. I’d rather not have this weakness too as it is a struggle to get through the day

Some of us are incredible survivors who have lived through experiences that would destroy most people.

Came to say this.

Who said this op? My thoughts are that they have never experienced mental illness.

My brother has schizophrenia and we treat him like a person - we expect him not be abusive and we accept that he has an illness like a physical illness that means he can't work and has to take medication. He's also witty, can be caring, can be a PITA like all brothers.

I think he's smarter and much more stoical than me. The fact he manages to live with the voices and also doesn't really complain is beyond me. Whereas I moan at everything!

Confused by the people saying this isn't a thing anymore

I've been stigmatised by family to the point I've had to go NC

Constantly feel stigmatised by healthcare professionals, including NHS therapists who told me to "go for a walk" and when I said I couldn't, that was the problem, I can't leave the house, basically told me to suck it up and get on with it.

I agree partly with what you have said.

IME, people lose their patience for anything that isn't fixed quickly. I am a crier but in private, because again, if it isn't for a 'valid' reason then it is frowned upon by a lot of people (not all)

The stigma you mention, I don't agree with . It is great that it is openly disussed by famous people and since being open about my own struggles I have discovered loads of people I know also on meds / have difficulties . As PP have mentioned, it is frustrating when the label is used too much (sometimes as an excuse )

My DD is incredibly strong in that she generally keeps going despite everything.

Ploughing on through anxiety takes much more strength than doing stuff without anxiety.