Stigmatism of Mental Health

  Heather Winkler

Stigma

Mental illness carries with it a powerful stigma that keeps people away from help. Many countries like China or even Canada, do not have ways to deal with mental illness (1). These countries tend to focus on physical symptoms instead of having organized tests and educated individuals to ask about mental state. From what I have observed these two sections of science are not as separate as we might assume. By observing functions of the brain and the use of drugs we can find that individuals' psychological states affect their physical ones and vice versa. These two categories are very interconnected and to truly treat friends, family, and patients we should merge these two studies to find the best course for any treatment. We should try to overcome this stigma in healthcare so people can be comfortable being treated. 

I have seen many patients come into a healthcare setting and decline mental treatment due to stigmatization. People don’t want to feel different. When someone has mental illness they might have internalized shame or fear of this shame that is preventing them from seeking help (2). Not only will their mental state continue, but these individuals will also suffer from reduced likelihood of staying with treatment. So to help someone stick with their health goals the mental and physical state must be examined. To do this we must bridge the gap between psychology and biology with a holistic approach where topics like “mental” health can be discussed as openly as physical health. 

For example, people who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) should be informed that they may have personality change. By informing this individual of this information or even friends or family the individual can be better cared for. Although TBI seems like a physical problem only, it's not. Brain damage caused by car accidents, falls, sport injuries, abuse, etc. often leads to significant personality and behavior changes (around 57%). There are various types of therapies a person can take part in to help cope with or change these new behavioral aspects. Individuals should not be afraid to seek this type of help. 

Not only internal stigma exists but external stigma does as well. The healthcare world and society are not perfect. Both of these groups have isolated mental disorders from physical illness making people feel alien if they suffer from one or both of these. Over the past couple of years, through the help of social media, the stigma of mental and physical health in the US has changed drastically. With this exposure as well as the plentiful studies that have come out about mental illness, we are able to understand mental illness better and this helps us disintegrate the stigma around it. For example, mental illness can occur in many different ways. Sometimes due to brain chemical imbalances we may suffer from a condition like depression. Depression occurs when serotonin is low. This lowering of serotonin doesn’t just cause mental distress. The mental distress that causes changes around the body can lead you to be more susceptible to cardiac disease, weight fluctuations, heart attack, or even immune system deficiencies (3). Or perhaps we are born with a certain genetic condition that causes mental deterioration. Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that eventually leads to dementia. This causes mood changes, memory issues, movement issues, etc Or mental illness can also occur quite suddenly. In the case of Phineas Gage, we learn about a man who was struck by a tamping iron in the head. It went through his frontal lobe (the area where higher thinking occurs) and he survived the endeavor. However, physical survival was not the end for gage. His personality changed drastically. Due to his injury he was filled with anger, impulsiveness, and rage. His primal nature was surprising and his case documented. Through his case and many others we can see that physical and mental pain go hand in hand. So why are we stigmatizing an important half to someone's health?

The brain is the center for processing in the body. Many neurons send messages to balance internal conditions. The brain is also central to our creative thinking as well as our problem solving skills. It keeps out memories safe and it is central to living life as ourselves. Since this is true. This means that any imbalance of our mental state will affect our body via the brain or any imbalance to brain function will cause a change of mental state. So when trying to treat physical or mental ailments we can turn to various drugs since they can affect the brain and bodily processes effectively.

Drugs work due to many factors. Drugs tamper with neurons. These are the structures that send messages around the body. Drugs have the capability to mimic a certain neurotransmitter which could expose us to more or less of a chemical compound. This ultimately changes how we function and feel. The effectiveness of drugs can be seen in the abuse of certain drug compounds. Cocaine for instance stops the reuptake of dopamine at the neuron’s junction. This exposes the body to more dopamine than it's used to and eventually if this drug is continually abused this will change the chemical pathways in the brain. This is how addictions are made. The brain is changed by the drug and this causes someone to be “compelled” to take the drug. By looking at drug abuse we can see the possibilities of how the drugs could permanently help someone. 

    People are seeking this help via drugs, but they often do not turn to medical treatment due to the possibility of being stigmatized. So they end up in illegal processes. Drug abuse is prevalent in the US. People love to self medicate and since drugs are so effective people turn to them but not in a monitored way. 20.4 million Americans (as of 2006) were illicit drug users. This type of addictive drug use can negatively affect lives.

    Misuse of drugs can cause crime, a decrease in healthy relationships, loss of productivity, mental dependance, body changes, and medical complications. Having life stressors, like illness, can lead one to have a dependance on drugs. Having stress, abuse, low self-esteem, and lower economic status can lead someone to abuse drugs. 45% of Americans over the age of 12 have tried and illicit drugs. Many physiological effects can take place as well as mental effects depending on the type of drug you take. With a stimulant, it puts your body into fight or flight mode. Depressants chill you out. And hallucinogens alter perception, thoughts, reality and mood. Some drugs can even cause respiratory failure, brain damage, and memory loss. Things like cocaine are a stimulant and they give you a ton of energy but also cause you to ‘crash’ and feel terrible. 

    Mental health should not be stigmatized because it is powerfully connected to physical health. Drugs should be used in a proper way for treatment of both mental and physiological ailments. Drug abuse should be avoided and self medicating can be a dangerous practice. Many people separate this topic of stigma (social studies)  and biology, but they are truly interconnected.

Works cited

1. Rodriguez-Cayro, K. (2017, October 11). What does mental health care look like abroad? this is how 9 countries treat mental illness. Bustle. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.bustle.com/p/what-does-mental-health-care-look-like-abroad-this-is-how-9-countries-treat-mental-illness-2885010

2. Stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness. Psychiatry.org - Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination#:~:text=Public%20stigma%20involves%20the%20negative,have%20about%20their%20own%20condition

3. Healthline Media. (n.d.). The effects of depression in your body. Healthline. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/effects-on-body#what-it-is