Guest Author - Lisa Angelettie M.S.W.

This is the second of a series of four articles discussing the problems with how mental illness is diagnosed and treated in today's society--Are You Afraid To See Someone About Your Mental Health?

I have often referred to the stigma of having a mental health illness in this society in many of my articles and discussions with clients. I talk about it a lot because it is such a barrier to getting treatment, and the worst part of it is that much of it is self-imposed, culturally imposed, and somewhat subconsciously imposed by mainstream media. In other words, we could individually as well as collectively change it.

The Shame of Mental Illness
If you know that there is something really wrong with you but you are afraid to seek treatment because you view a mental illness or disorder as a weakness, then you are only crippling yourself even more. The only person who can make you believe that you are a weak individual is you. Even when the bully told you that in 8th grade -- you didn't have to believe him or her. You just had to believe in your own heart and mind that you weren't weak, and that battle as well as any other life battle could have been won.

There is one thing that many individuals like to hold onto when it comes to mental health and that is "control". One thing that makes bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder or so many other disorders misunderstood - is the notion that they can be controlled by the individual. And someone who is suffering the symptoms from one of these conditions must be weak.

Unlike how we view someone with a heart condition or asthma or liver damage -- we view them as people that have experienced some unfortunate circumstance. Something that happened to them, and certainly not something that they could have controlled themselves. So there is no shame. Or rather not a collective shame. There are individuals who can be ashamed or embarrassed of any illness, but you tend not to see it as much as with a mental illness.

The Fear of Treatment
Thanks to years of some horrible mental health institutions and their reputations, as well as the media that loved to tell their tales and sometimes build t.v. shows & movies around them...many people have what has grown to an irrational fear of seeking treatment for mental illness.

Many people don't trust physicians, therapists, psychologists. Many people don't trust in the science of psychiatric medicine. And while I find that utterly shocking (no surprise there:), I have to wonder how those attitudes and beliefs are affecting the general population. After all, if one mother is afraid to see someone about her growing anxiety disorder - what does that say to her 1,2,3, or more children? What values and beliefs do they pass onto their children? And how does that impact our society? Studies have shown that at least one of her children will probably have the same or similar disorder. Will they be fearful too? And not really even sure what they're fearful of?

Impacting Our Health
So with those two factors in mind -- how is the stigma or shame of having a mental disorder and the fear of seeking treatment for one impacting the general health of our society?

Without concrete studies in place, I can't give statistics or numbers - but I think we can use our common sense. Ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. That is a basic and simple human idea that we can all grasp. That's why the successful people in this world are ones that are doers. People that "do something" about whatever the issue is. And having millions of people walking the earth with untreated mental disorders is not productive for our society.

So do you want to do something today?

1. Recognize that there is a problem with you or a loved one. It is not your fault, or your mom's fault, or your friend's fault. It just is.

2. Accept that in order to elicit change you have to be proactive about it. You have to do something. Right now that might be as simple as cruising the web for more information about your symptoms, and later it may be talking to a qualified mental health professional about your concerns.

3. Understand that no matter what you hear at that first visit - that it isn't written in stone. Always get a second opinion, and always look for someone you trust and respect when it comes to your mental health.

4. Remember that you empower yourself and many others like you when you stand up and say "I suffer from ....but I'm doing something about it." Whatever that disorder may be. Don't be afraid to share that with the people who love you. While there may be one ignorant apple in the bunch who may say some negative thing to you or about you -- hey, that's high school stuff. Don't let that chatter stop you from taking back your life. And remember that when you do - there may be someone around you who you have encouraged or empowered.

Finally - know that someone with an untreated and unacknowledged mental disorder is NOT a happy person. If that's you or someone you love -- remember that there is no shame in changing that.

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Lisa Angelettie, "GirlShrink" is an online advice authority. Her site GirlShrink.com is the #1 "Advice & Counseling" site on the web. Instantly get a FREE Bonus when you sign up for her free Better Choices Ezine. Please visit us for more discussion on this topic in the mental health forum to talk about it further. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for topics in the news, new articles, website & book reviews, and other useful mental health resources. Subscribe below.