There’s way too much stigma in this world. Most of it is unjustified.
As a society we have in the past half decade slowly erased stigma from many things. Fifty years ago polite people resisted talking about certain diseases, like cancer. Now we hold huge walk-athons to raise money for cancer research, and supporting a Relay for Life or surviving the disease is a badge of honor that we brag about.
Thirty years ago, death by AIDS was hidden in the code of obituaries as “lengthy illness.” Today rock concerts are held routinely to raise money and awareness.
And now we’re working on mental illness.
The recent 14th annual Mental Health and Wellness Fair came to the Greenfield Energy Park on a midday to help all of us fight lingering stigma attached to the condition that so many of us suffer in varying degrees. Who hasn’t spoken of taking a “mental health day” from work? Count the number of people you were surprised to learn suffer from some degree of depression. How many members of the armed services returned from overseas needing help with trauma-induced mental scars beyond the physical wounds.
The mental health fair brings together most of the area’s mental health, addiction and social service agencies to bring the discussion about our mental health and mental illnesses out into the open, literally. In a practical way, the fair also connects those who have needs with service providers like Clinical and Support Options, the county’s premier mental health agency, but also Tapestry Health, Baystate Franklin Medical Center and others.
Robyn Manning, a member of the Green River House, a mental health day program and counseling center, said the people that she has met at the Greenfield facility, who like her were working the crowd at the fair, prove that the stigma associated with mental illness is wrong and that mental health is just like any physical disorder or disability.
“There are services out there than can help people live a prosperous life,” said Manning, who has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. But with the help she needed, she’s moving forward with her life, and plans to become a certified nursing assistant.
People in the mental health field note that the less stigma attached to an ailment, the more likely those afflicted, in big and small ways, will feel comfortable seeking help, which is a good thing.
Social stigma may be as old as humanity itself, but that doesn’t mean we can’t grow out of it. We applaud CSO and the other health agencies that continue to push us all toward that healthier future and encourage them to keep those health fairs coming.