Topic of stigma

Mental health is spoken about a lot, and especially during these pandemic times, it has received a lot of attention alongside the coronavirus of course. Popular and well-known people around the world have spoken about their tryst with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and panic (“Lady Gaga, Glenn Close join Prince Harry and Oprah for mental health TV series,” May 11, Gulf Today).

And yet, mental health remains a topic of stigma, especially at the workplace. There seems to be an underlying need to hide one’s mental health issues lest one might lose one’s job or a promotion for being judged as mentally weak or mentally unstable.

And so, despite getting the attention and more that mental health deserves and despite enough awareness being created about the stigma surrounding seeking help for issues related to mental health, it still seems that help is far away for those who need it. It also seems that mental health issues are a luxury and can be afforded by celebrities who will only gain more sympathy and fame for opening up about their lives. This is because celebrities are seen as icons who have it all – fame, power and wealth. Because the common thinking is that when you have these, what would you need? And thus, when they do open up about that which plagues them, we can relate as if they have stepped down from the pedestal.

However, the parameters change for the common man who has neither power nor wealth nor fame. And thus acknowledging another issue would only invite judgement that the common man isn’t handling his life “properly” or is whinning too much.

Abilasha D
By email