The Circle of Wellness Newsletter 5/24
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Despite making definite strides in mental health awareness, people with mental illness may still face stigma. They may be viewed in a negative way, treated differently and made to feel ashamed or embarrassed about their mental illness. Stigma can also lead to discrimination at work or in a social context, and this can make mental illness worse.
Stigma usually involves incorrect stereotypes. People with mental illness may be considered ‘scary’, ‘comical’ or ‘incompetent’. A person with anxiety may be labelled as being weak rather than having an illness, and some people may believe they could just ‘snap out of it’. People living with schizophrenia may often be called violent.
Stigma happens from a lack of understanding of mental illness, through ignorance and misinformation. It can also happen because some people have negative attitudes or beliefs towards mental illness. This can lead to discrimination.
Media can play a part in strengthening stigma by showing inaccurate stereotypes about people with a mental illness, connecting mental illness to criminal behavior and violence, or wrongly using metal health diagnoses to explain behavior. In fact, research shows people with mental illness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence.
Dealing with the effects of being treated differently can increase feelings of isolation and make mental illness worse. Many people say dealing with stigma and discrimination is harder than dealing with mental illness itself. People with mental illness may also take on board the unfair views held by others. This can affect self-esteem even trigger suicidal thoughts. They may feel ashamed or embarrassed. This can lead them to not seek treatment, withdraw from society or to use drugs or alcohol.
What can you do if you experience mental health stigma:
Don’t avoid getting treatment — Don’t let your fear of being labelled or discriminated against stop you from seeking help and treatment.
Don’t believe that you are your illness — Someone with a broken ankle is not a broken ankle — they are more than their illness. So are you.
Don’t take it personally — Most discrimination comes from people who don’t understand or have little or no experience of mental illness.
Use facts — Mental illness is common and is not a sign of weakness. Learn some useful facts and figures and tell people about it.
Stand up to negative stereotypes and misinformation — Set the record straight when you hear false or negative information.
Tell your story (if you want) — Speaking out can have a positive impact, especially if it means you stop feeling ashamed when it comes to your mental illness.
Join a support group — It can be useful to meet others in the same situation. Support groups often have resources that may help educate family members and others about mental illness.
I’m currently accepting new clients for Psychotherapy and Personal Development remote sessions. All current clients receive 20 % discount for Personal Development or MARI services, and newsletter subscribers receive 10 % discount as new clients.
Practicing self-care should be as routine as practicing your daily hygiene. Make room every day for a few minutes of self-care rituals to create overall wellbeing.
Are you following me on social media? Find me under @DianaTherapyNY
Here are the links to my Facebook page, Instagram and X accounts. Follow me to get your weekly dose of mental health awareness facts and wellbeing inspiration.
I also have a Resource Page on my website with an extensive list of recommended books and national resources.
You can also click here to find copies of all prior newsletters on my Blog Page.
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National Mental Health Organizations:
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). A free, 24/7 helpline that provides referrals to local treatment facilities support groups and community-based organizations. The helpline is confidential information and can be in English or Spanish. Callers are also given the option to order free publications and other information. The helpline also has resources available to those who cannot afford treatment and will help you locate local resources.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides referrals to support groups and mental health professionals, resources on loss, and suicide prevention information (888-333-2377)
The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 crisis intervention, safety planning, and information on domestic violence (800-799-7233)
The Suicide Prevention Lifeline connects callers to trained crisis counselors (800-273-8255)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) provides information on prevention, treatment, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and related conditions (240-485-1001)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides information on statistics, clinical trials, and research. NAMI references NIMH statistics for our website and publications (866-615-6464)
May is also Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide, but only about 30% are properly diagnosed.
When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body.
Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning that it runs in families. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease. Celiac disease can develop at any age after people start consuming gluten. Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to additional serious health problems.
Research shows that untreated celiac disease can impact emotions, cognitive ability, behaviors, and more. Depression, anxiety, irritability, social anxiety, eating disorders, mental fog, fatigue, hyperactivity are common issues reported in celiac disease patients prior to diagnosis. Side effects of celiac disease can affect the brain in various ways, leading to a lower quality of life for those suffering from untreated celiac disease, and sometimes even after diagnosis, too.
Your homework for this month is to choose 1-2 self-care activities and start practicing them every day. They don’t have to be long or complicated, even 5-10 minutes a day can make a profound difference in the long run. Notice your potential resistance at first, don’t fight it, but rather transform it into determination and an act of self-love that you choose to do for yourself.
Afina wants to remind you that being social and hanging out with family and friends is good for your mental health as it creates emotional closeness and a sense of supportive community.
