The Stigma of Mental Illness - Bipolar Disorder: How It Can Be Overcome (PT-V)

Personal Opinion

“Once labeled, clients may become frustrated in their attempts to return to conventional social roles, as others in society (friends, family, and employers, and even case managers) may be reluctant to give up their negative classifications,” is stated by psychologist J. Walsh (2000). The mentally ill patient/client (deviant) is oppressed by the correlating negative social classifications (stereotype), which restricts self determination and autonomy (independent self), (Walsh, 2000). Ultimately I view the social component of mental illness – deviancy, as a double edged sword. It is a diagnostic tool and it is the means of self and social condemnation leading to labels, stereotyping, stigma and discrimination. Stigma not only hinders social positioning and role development, but directly interferes with the treatment process of the mentally ill. Overcoming stigma is a journey of discovery – self, master status, and negotiated roles within social constructs. The struggle of successfully overcoming stigma lies between understanding social labels and their symbolic meaning, reinforcing self esteem, and perpetually exercising strategies – normalization, neutralization and destigmatization.

Part I

Introduction to Stigma

Part II

Overview of Mental Illness: “The Mark”

Stereotyping is a Social Construct

Part III

Part IV Defining Deviance: The Social Element of Mental Illness

Part V Deviance is a Label of Social Construct

Part IV

Self Worth, Self Esteem as a Social Construct

Challenging the Label: Strategically Redefining the Social Self

Part V

Personal Opinion

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Bibliography

1) Link, B. G. & Phelan, J. C. (2001). On Stigma and its Public Health Implications, retrieved April 16, 2006, from the National Institute of Health website: http://www.stigmaconference.nih.gov/LinkPaper.htm

2) Jones et al. (1984) as cited by Link, B. G. & Phelan, J. C. (2001). On Stigma and its Public Health Implications, retrieved April 16, 2006, from the National Institute of Health website: http://www.stigmaconference.nih.gov/LinkPaper.htm

3) Sandstrom, K. L. Martin, D. D. & Fine, G. A. (2003). Symbols, Selves and Social Reality. Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing Company

4) What is Cinemania, retrieved April 23, 2006, from The Stigma of Cinemania website: http://www.cinemaniastigma.com/pages/1/index.htm

5) Goodwin, F. (2002). The Infinite Mind: Mental Illness and the Media. Retrieved April 25, 2006, From Lichtenstein Creative Media Website: http://www.lcmedia.com/mind223.htm

6) Comer, R. J. (2004), Abnormal Psychology, New York: Worth Publishers

7) Walsh, J. (2000), Clinical Case Management with Persons Having Mental Illness; A Relationship-Based Perspective, Canada: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning

8) Link, B. (2006), Toward an Understanding of Stigma in the Lives of People with Mental Illness, Retrieved April 24, 2006, from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, website: http://shrp.umdnj.edu/programs/psyc/coll/Stig2-UMDMJ-%202006.ppt#1

9) Perring, C. (2005), Mental Illness, retrieved April 15, 2006, from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy website: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mental-illness/

10) Jacobson, N. & Greenely, D. (2001), What is Recovery? A conceptual Model and Explication, Psychiatric Services, 52: p. 482 – 485.

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