The Stigma of Depression Many people wrongly view depression as a personal weakness or character flaw. But depression, like all health problems, has a combination of biological and environmental causes. Although the situation is improving, there are still many people who view the subject of mental illness with contempt. But contempt for mental illness is completely misguided. And it leads to stigma (meaning a mark of shame or discredit), which is a dreadful force in our culture. Your personality, moods and thoughts are made possible by biological activity in your brain. This biological activity is shaped or altered by interactions with the environment. The environment is the sum total of your life experiences, including the ups and downs of important relationships. All physical and mental illnesses (including depression) grow out of this biology/environment interaction. Unfortunately, the stigma about depression (and mental illness in general) even extends to some doctors, health administrators and politicians, who may be less willing to support programs and policies that would improve mental-health care. Misunderstandings about depression lead some insurance companies to deny health, life and disability insurance coverage. Stigma causes all of us to lose out, because almost everyone, at one time or another in life, has a mental illness. That may be a surprising idea, but it shouldn’t be. Everybody eventually gets some kind of physical illness, be it mild, moderate or life threatening. It is no different with mental illnesses — they come in mild, moderate and severe forms. And like physical illnesses, there should be no shame in getting appropriate help for them.
Last updated April 11, 2008
| 
