What is it like when people talk with you, a psychiatric patient?

How do all the areas we are contending with in stigma affecting your interaction with others? – Demonic possession, shame, violent tendencies, weak character, and poor moral choices?

We want to hear from you. Some stories please.

One patient told me that her parents were angry at her teachers when they were advised to consult with a psychiatrist for my patient’s depression. Her parents were so angry, in fact, that they removed her from her private school and enrolled her somewhere else.

I wanted to ask my patient, let’s call her Brianna, how people speak to her now that she has finally engaged in treatment, as an adult! How do her parents reconcile it? How does her church speak to her?

Briana is among many who suffer at stigma, but her best approach would be to ask how she, first speaks to herself, a psych patient. Does she have biased self talk? We need to start with “Me.”

What are the common myths? Get the myths out there.  Some of what the community says are true myths and some are not myths.

• Time consumption.
• Danger
• Treatment skepticism – no recovery, there’s less hope for them
• Punishment from God for evildoers.
• Demonic possession
• Danger
• I am lessened by my affiliation with the mentally ill

The patient is sick after all. We agree. Brain illness and all that. This is Brianna’s identity; her emotions and behaviors paint what she and others see. Perhaps, Briana identifies herself as someone with depression; someone who went over her church and parents directives. That takes a chunk of courage to do. 

Self Care tip: Discuss and discover the self stigma we have about our mental illness.

Questions – as listed above :)!