I have spoken a little bit already about stigma in society and how we all need to recognise and understand that people with a mental health diagnosis are essentially no different from the “norm”.
I have touched on the fact that these people (including myself) should be admired in the sense that they are up against something that a lot of other people don’t understand and they are up against things that most people would find just too hard to deal with. The fact that these people soldier on, and keep living their lives as best they can, is just so admirable and so amazing.
So we know about stigma in society…but what about self-stigma? Self-stigma is the most harmful form of stigma….this means that we, (the amazing people) start to believe the things that society believes about us. This sort of stigma can knock people over and make it really hard for us to get back up and achieve the things that we want to achieve. Most people (the norm) tend to think that we aren’t as capable as them…and that we have little to know value. Can we just take a second to reflect on how awful that really is?
I have battled this battle myself. People have had very low expectations of me and they often didn’t believe that I was worth knowing. What I have managed to do though, is rise about the stigma, and refuse to let myself be stigmatised by society. We have that choice, as individuals. We don’t have to listen to and believe what others may believe about us.
I choose to see my ‘illness’ in a more empowering light. I choose to see my experiences as positive and valuable. I choose to reach for the stars and dream big dreams. You can do this too. It all depends on how you choose to view yourself and your situation. I’ll make one other suggestion – research all those people out there who have come through mental illness and are now achieving great things. If you take a look….what you’ll find will amaze you. The buck doesn’t stop there…you are more than capable of achieving these things also, regardless of your past or whatever aspects of your mental illness you may be dealing with.
A final quote to inspire: There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can’t…What you’ve got to do is turn around and say “WATCH ME” (Anon).
Talk to you soon
Love Kate xx
Kate's Niche 