The following is a post about the stigma of mental illness that I found on our depression forum. Even though the events that she wrote about happened several decades ago (it was originally posted in 1998 and happened 30 years prior to that), I think it illustrates quite well the pain that stigma can cause to those with mental illness. I feel fortunate to live in a time when mental illness is much better understood by the general public, although I think we still have more work to do. I am grateful to the author for granting me permission to reprint her experiences here.
Hi! I just have to share this "stigma" story with you. It happened almost 30 years ago. I was around 25 years old and had just spent three months in Western State Hospital [I voluntarily committed myself]. Well, one of the conditions for release was to find an apartment and stuff so I had been out apartment hunting and coming back to the hospital on the bus. During the course of the rather lengthy ride there was a little girl, about 3 or so, with long dark hair and eyes-- much like my own daughter. She was driving her mother crazy, so I said why don't you sit over here with me and I will tell you a story. So the little girl came over and I told her the story of Hansel and Gretel. At this point we were approaching the institution, and I told the driver to let me off. Well, that mother literally yanked that child clear across the bus and huddled her in her arms, as if she had suffered some grievous harm. The look that mother gave me, like I was inhuman, an alien trying to abduct her child or something. It was the fearful look she had while she clung tightly to her daughter, shouting, "They shouldn't let people 'like you' on public transportation! Get off, get off!" I was 25 years old, already in deep emotional distress, trying to get well; and, to this day, 30 years later, I have never forgotten the horrible shame and pain from that incident. It's a major reason why I rarely reveal my myriad of mental disorders, including multiple personality disorder, anxiety disorder, OCD, bipolar, borderline personality disorder--or just plain old garden variety depression. This one painful incident traumatized me to stay "in the closet" as much as possible on any mental health issue, because I don't want mothers pulling their children away from as if I was some monster. Thanks for letting me get that out.
