Does stigma still exist when it comes to mental health, or are we unconsciously holding on to the belief that it does, turning it into some kind of phantom entity?

Fifty years ago, it would have been justified to speak about stigma, and thousands—or probably more like millions—of people worldwide suffered in silence.

Although the word stigma can be traced back to ancient Greece, when it referred to a mark or tattoo, often used to brand criminals and slaves, the way we associate it with mental health is relatively modern and began to emerge in the 19th and 20th centuries.

It is almost unimaginable how individuals suffering from depression, OCD, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, etc. were told, or chose, to just shut up and get on with life.

Back in those days, it wasn’t even common practice to categorise mental health struggles. You were either “normal” or “different” (the latter being a kinder term used back then).

OCD, for example, was, for many people—including myself—an unknown illness until the beginning of this century alone.

So why did people who struggled take up this stiff upper lip stance, choosing to suffer in silence? The most valid answer is probably the fear of being excluded from society and judged by it—the fear of being branded “different” or worse.

Nowadays, I fortunately see a different picture—almost the complete opposite. Take ADHD, for example, which has only been known by its current term since 1987, but even then was, for most people, an unknown entity. It was merely added to the category of being “different.” One can almost be forgiven for believing that every other person these days has ADHD or some form of autism, not only because it is talked about so much (which is good) almost everywhere you go, but also as a result of many with the condition almost proudly announcing it. This, in my opinion, can lead to two polarities. Yes, on one side, it is without a doubt both fantastic and preferable to talk about it so openly, which puts the existence of stigma into doubt; yet, by announcing it left, right, and centre with a sense of pride attached, it may involuntarily turn into an identification, to the point where for some it becomes close to a lifestyle.

We must be careful not to create a portal for the ego to look for identification and existence in any given mental health struggle or condition—or whatever you would like to call it. It should never define who you are. You are, first and foremost, a human being. This is your identity!

If you fall into the trap of unknowingly becoming a certain condition, you begin to see the entire world through its veil, which in most cases doesn’t help anyone in the long run.

It’s all about balance—Yin and Yang. Fifty years ago, maybe not even that long ago, we were definitely too deep in the realm of Yang. That’s when hardly anybody spoke up about mental health struggles. That’s when stigma was still very much a reality. However, now I wonder if we have gone too far in the other direction—too far into the realm of Yin. Yes, it’s brilliant that we can speak openly about how we feel and what we are going through, and that’s the way it should be. There is no question about it, which, in my opinion, brings the existence of stigma into doubt. The danger I see, however, is that so many people (not all) are turning their condition into a lifestyle and identity, which I believe is not ideal for a healing or recovery process.

With regard to stigma, there may still be pockets here and there where it exists. Yet, if so, I wonder if it is more of a phantom. Could it be that people have been so conditioned to believe that stigma still exists that they are holding on to it—holding on to the past? Is this possibly false belief what gives rise to people wanting to attach a kind of pride to various conditions? I don’t have the answer to that, but I believe it is an interesting subject to consider.