Imagine struggling with your mental health, but not speaking up because of fear, embarrassment, or discrimination. The fear of losing your job, your relationships, or your home prevents you from seeking help.
Stigma exists for people of all ages, races, genders, and occupations. Statistics show that less than 50 percent of people with mental illness seek treatment.
According to Matthew G. Smith, executive director of Preventionfocus and chair of the Anti-Stigma Coalition’s Outreach Committee, people are more comfortable talking about mental illness and mental health, but there is still a need for acceptance and full understanding of the issues.
“This is especially challenging because the ways in which stigma manifests is unique among different cultural groups, occupations, generations, etc.,” he said. “Stigma needs to be addressed with the unique sets of circumstances in mind inside of each group. While speaking freely without fear is key, there also need to be action steps taken beyond just talking to make more progress.”
Less than
%
of people with mental illness seek treatment
The Anti-Stigma Coalition (ASC) gets back to basics with a Facebook Live on January 23 titled Back to Basics: Sharing Stories of Stigma and Hope. Featured guests are Dan Lukasik, lawyer and Judicial Wellness Coordinator for the New State Office on Court Administration and Karl Shallowhorn, Special Expert for SAMHSA Region II. Smith will moderate the event.
Both panelists are mental health advocates and will share their experience with mental illness, stigma, and recovery. Lukasik is the director of the recent documentary, “My Brother Lost in Time: A Bipolar Life,” about his relationship with his brother, who suffered from bipolar disorder and passed away two years ago. He also recently launched the Buffalo Depression Project website, where he blogs, provides mental health resources for those who struggle with mental illness and their families, and offers podcasts of local people living with depression.
Shallowhorn is the chair of the board for the Mental Health Association in New York State and has authored two books, Working on Wellness: A Practical Guide to Mental Health, and Leadership Through the Lens of the 12 Steps. He is the host of Mindful Music which is heard on 88.7 WBFO-FM, Buffalo. Shallowhorn has delivered several hundred workshops and trainings focusing on behavioral health and was a featured speaker for TEDx Buffalo 2021 with his topic being centered on African American men and mental health.
According to Lukasik, his own experiences with stigma have changed a lot over the past twenty years since he was first diagnosed with depression.
“One of my law partners called me ‘sick,’ others stopped inviting me to lunch or asking for my opinions about our business,” he said. “Still, others told me to ‘get over it’ or told me that I should be more ‘grateful’ for all the blessings in my life and not complain.
“Years later, I don’t experience stigma, given my role as a mental health advocate and my very public presence, both locally and nationally, where I speak about my depression journey,” Lukasik said.
Shallowhorn shares that the main type of stigma he experienced was within his own family.
“My mother was very guarded about sharing my mental health challenges,” he said. “There’s a lot of stigma in the Black community, and even more so in the 1980s when I was in the throes of my illness.
“Also, we never discussed my illness at home even though I was severely impacted. It was essentially ‘the elephant in the room.’” Shallowhorn said.
I used to think, ‘Why can’t I just get over this? What’s wrong with me?’ At some point, I came to accept that I had a mental illness that needed to be treated no differently than a physical illness. This helped immensely because I didn’t shame myself but began to feel a sense of self-compassion. I went from a sense of helplessness and hopelessness to feeling empowered and hopeful.”
Dan Lukasik
Smith says he is grateful to Lukasik and Shallowhorn for sharing their experiences, both during the upcoming Facebook Live and throughout the ASC’s media campaign.
“Stories are a great way to engage human beings and encourage them to learn,” Smith said. “Stories can also sometimes demonstrate steps to take to solve problems and show people that success is indeed possible. Hope is a necessary element in the path to better places. Stories can be especially impactful when the listener can really relate to the storyteller.”
According to Shallowhorn, it’s hard to say that things have improved for people living with mental illness.
“Overall, we have more treatment options, both in terms of modalities and medications, however statistically speaking the number of people facing mental health challenges has remained relatively similar over the last few years.” he said. “Historically, we have, of course made advancements in treatment so I do believe we have made progress in that regard.”
