He's faking it. She's just doing it for attention. They should grow a spine. Just toughen up.

No one wants to hear that about themselves, especially not when they're going through a tough time, but sadly for many, that's the reality. While mental health is continuously gaining more recognition, naturally that also brings more negativity. Recently, there's been a growing stigma around mental health, especially in schools, and it simply isn't spoken about enough.

Mental health is still something that most people lack understanding of. There will always be stigma attached to it, especially while it's a fresh topic. But after working so hard to decrease that, why are we moving backward?

Lack of Recognition

The stigma around mental health in schools is increasing, most likely due to the lack of education regarding the topic. Most schools don't teach their students about mental health and mental illnesses, leaving lots of room for ignorance and misunderstanding. I've heard people say that individuals who are suffering from a mental illness are “weak" or "attention-seeking” because many believe there has been a sudden, unexplained increase in cases.

The reality is, that one in five adolescents experience some sort of mental illness, and people don't realize how common it is. They don't understand that the illusion of a dramatic increase in mental health needs is created by the extreme stigma that used to exist around the topic. Many teenagers in their past probably experienced similar things, but no one talked about it.

While there is still a stigma regarding the topic, it has decreased enough that more people are comfortable talking about it without the fear of being judged or ostracized. Many of the numbers that seem new are most likely just existing numbers coming to light, and that's something people need to recognize.

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Misinformation

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Another common thing I notice in schools is misinformation regarding mental health. Everyone throws around terms like “autistic,” “bipolar,” “split personality,” and so many other terms. I’ve heard them used both when referring to themselves, and as insults towards other people, despite those people not actually struggling with this disorder. I’ve even seen teachers refer to themselves as “OCD” and other inaccurate terms.

By using these terms so loosely, it takes away from people who are actually experiencing these disorders, and almost diminishes and undermines the experiences of these people. Especially hearing it from someone like a teacher, an authority figure that we trust and learn from, causes a lot of people to blindly agree with and follow what they say, spreading this misinformation faster.

Things like this can lead to people being more uncomfortable speaking about or even acknowledging their struggles. Since this can cause people to develop a narrative undermining how much a certain disorder impacts someone's life, the people experiencing these disorders may feel invalidated, especially when it's being used as an insult. These individuals may feel ashamed, knowing that the disorder that they struggle with is something that the general population has such a bad image of.

Fear of Fitting in

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Despite the general decrease of stigma around the topic of mental health, many teenagers are still afraid of being accepted by their peers in school. We all know how difficult it is to be a teenager, and we don't want the extra burden of worrying whether or not we can fit in. While the younger generations are typically more open-minded, it's pretty widely accepted that teenagers are some of the most judgmental people on the planet. We gossip and spread rumors, whether we mean to or not.

I have found that for whatever reason, on top of mental disorders being used as insults, mental health has become a common topic of gossip. When someone is open about their mental health, I've heard responses such as “Well they don't need to tell everyone about it" more times than I can count.

I’ve even heard genuinely struggling individuals be referred to with mean terms like “[censored].” This kind of response is what leads to fewer people being comfortable discussing their struggles, which is exactly the opposite of what we need to achieve. Even in my personal experience, my own mental health is something I've become less comfortable talking about with others because I don't want to be seen as “attention seeking” or “sensitive,” and I can only imagine that many others feel a similar way.

Ways to Combat Stigma

The best way to combat the existing, and in some cases growing, stigma around mental health is to stay educated. This means taking it upon yourself and even expressing to others what certain disorders truly entail, as well as decreasing the negative talk we do about them. Use respectful language when speaking about yourself and others, and don’t use terms without knowing what they mean.

Don’t be afraid to speak up when you hear others making those comments because simply going along with the negative talk doesn’t help anybody. Even with all these changes, people may not be open to sharing, and sharing your own experiences might help them feel more comfortable.

But even through doing all of this, don't forget to take care of yourself in the process. As caring friends, it may be tempting to take on everyone else's struggles but don't neglect your own needs. While listening to others is extremely helpful and an amazing step towards destigmatizing mental health, talking to others is a great way to help yourself as well.

There are school counselors, therapists, and even friends all ready to help you. If you aren't comfortable talking to someone, you may find it easier to journal and write somewhere just for you but don't forget about the resources available to you.

There’s so much we can do to decrease the stigma around mental health, and it’s so important for every individual to take action because no one should feel alone in their struggles.

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