A person with cancer is often given chemotherapy or radiation treatments to kill their cancer cells. These toxins or poison like medications or treatments destroy cancer cells but also kill other cells as well. They cause severe side effects that are usually visible to others. They throw up, lose weight and most obvious to others, they lose their hair. So, when others see someone with cancer they understand how and why they are sick and they empathize with them and treat them kindly.
People with mental illness are often given a variety of psychotropic medications to treat their disease. These medications are strong, can be dangerous and sometimes damage brain cells and other cells that are not targeted. These toxin like medications or treatments cause very severe side effects also but the difference is they can’t be seen by others.
The severe side effects are usually not visible on the outside but are still causing severe distress to the person being treated. Sometimes the damage occurs slowly and can take years to discover the severe outcomes that has been done. Instead people see adverse behaviors or lack of behaviors that they can’t understand so they blame the person instead of the medications or their illness.
This is stigma my friends. Oh, the stigma of mental illness. Will it ever end? Can it?
I don’t know for sure but all we can do is keep trying to end stigma and never give up. Keep talking, sharing, teaching, preaching and loving and treating people kindly and respectfully until mental illness stigma ceases to exist–until it is stops–until it is OVER!
We must even love the people who stigmatize mental illness. We can’t end wrongs with more wrongs, bad with bad, hurt with hurt, hate with hate, or evil with evil. That doesn’t work.
We must love. We must not stand out negatively and be pushy but be kind and teach with gentle words and actions of kindness and love. Show others how to love with LOVE.
End the stigma of mental illness by showing others how to love.
Be the strong examples of compassion and love.
Treat stigma with love.
“Let love be the ending
of the stigma sentence♥”
~Susan Walz
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My Loud Whispers of Hope 
Thanks for this post. I have to agree that there is an element of understanding that flows both ways. I get frustrated with the stigma, but then I remind myself that some people just don’t understand, that I need to teach them. That usually requires a loving response back, as hard as that can be.
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Yes it is hard and these are just my new thoughts with stigma. Love is always the better way. I used to get angry and upset but I am trying to focus on love and positivity and God and prayer more these days. Thanks for reading and for your great feedback. Much love and hugs, Sue
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