Even today, therapy or seeking mental health support, can be made more difficult by stigmatisation. Stigmas and stereotypes can lead to individuals developing misconceptions about mental health and therapy, discouraging them from receiving the necessary help. Read on to see what stigmas are, where they can come from, and who they most impact.
What are stigmas and where do they come from?
Stigmas are misconceptions and discriminatory beliefs regarding a concept, or group of people. They are mainly negative in nature, and derive from a lack of understanding by those who believe them, and perpetuated by poor representation within the media. Stigmatisation around mental health and therapy are no exception to this.
Outlined below are some of the types of stigmas specific to mental health problems and therapy.
Where does the stigma around mental health problems and therapy come from?
Lack of understanding or knowledge
As with many cases of stigmatisation, it usually develops from a lack of understanding. In turn, this can make people more fearful and encourage them to cut corners in their judgement, rather than developing their own opinions. Some people may rely on the public consensus and predisposed misconceptions.
Media representation of mental health
For the sake of entertainment and shock-value, mental health problems are represented in a very extreme way within the media. Characters with mental health disorders in films and TV shows are usually unpredictable and dangerous, and rarely presented from a realistic standpoint (but on many occasions, from a villainous one!). This does not help the public’s perception of mental health.
Media representations of therapy
Therapy sessions are usually comical or overdramatised in films and shows, generally leaving people with a negative impression. Considering the general public usually has very little interaction with an actual therapist, it can be tricky to naturally challenge this impression.
There is high stigma particularly with males.
Research shows that males are less likely to demonstrate help-seeking behaviour, and are less inclined to ask for help and seek therapy. This is likely due to the unfair notion that ‘men must be strong, logical, and not require emotional support’. This has an unfortunate link to declining mental health within the male population, and the high suicide rates within this demographic.
If you are struggling and would like to find out more about available support, please see the links to male-specific support services below.
What damage does mental health stigma cause?
Stigmas such as these lower the likeliness of people seeking support. They may not want to be categorised as ‘mentally ill’, especially if they believe consequences, such as public persecution, exist. As a result, an individual’s mental health struggles can progressively get worse. Instead of considering therapy or counselling, people may deny that anything is wrong, and bottle things up. This then takes more time in therapy to unpick and manage.
Stigma, which impacts on their help-seeking behaviour, can also impact a person’s ability to progress personally and within their career. It could also lead to difficulties and breakdowns in their interpersonal relationships.
How can we tackle this?
- By challenging inaccurate representations of mental health and therapy, and acknowledging the damage they do.
- Educating ourselves on mental health issues, the treatment options and their success rates. This is particularly important if you are considering therapy yourself. It helps to know what is out there before making a decision.
- Starting open conversations with those around us about mental health issues and therapy (not necessarily personal experiences if you don’t feel comfortable doing so!) to normalise the topic. It is more common than you think! Here are some words from our very own Clinical Director about her own therapy experiences:
- Taking personal responsibility by reflecting on our own opinions of mental health and therapy, and challenging them. Doing our own research in order to develop a more well-rounded understanding.
Mental health support doesn’t necessarily provide a diagnosis, or require a diagnosis to access. You can go if you simply want to improve upon yourself and your mental health in some way. This could be to generally boost your mood, build a healthier opinion of yourself, become more productive, or combat bad habits. There is no shame, or harm, in wanting to work on yourself.
Our information
If you are interested in using our service, we do provide CBT and psychotherapy sessions for children, young people and adults. Please do not hesitate to contact us using the enquiry form below.
Get in touch to discuss your counselling needs
and find the right therapist for you
Please fill in the details below, then press ‘submit the form’. Our Clinic Manager, Rhianna, will review the form and be in touch via email within 1 working day to discuss her recommendations. If we can help, we will provide you with a link to book an assessment with the most appropriate therapist.
Thank you for your response. ✨
You can also follow us on our Instagram and Facebook for more information and mental health discussions. Or sign up to our mailing list to follow our blogs and offers.
Join our mailing list
Get new blog content delivered directly to your inbox, including a free resource to boost your self-esteem that includes a quiz and a CBT technique.
You’ll also be the first to hear about new blog articles, resources, tips, advice, offers and updates on our service including our widely anticipated self-paced online courses which cost the fraction of 1:1 therapy.
Just pop your email in the box below, and don’t forget to check your junk inbox it it doesn’t arrive soon.