Stigma

Stigmastig·ma  (stgm)n. pl. stig·ma·ta (stg-mät, -mt, stgm-) or stig·mas 1. A mark or token of infamy, disgrace, or reproach:
Archaic A mark burned into the skin of a criminal or slave; a brand.
(Free Online Dictionary)

Very few people refute the fact that there is stigma attached to having  mental illness. In fact, almost nothing evokes such a visceral response as telling someone you have a mental illness. That almost no one will readily admit to it says a great deal about society and the lack of education about mental illness that results in fear and ostracizing of those who happen to have such a disorder. Even the way we speak says a great deal. Most often we say "He (or she) is mentally ill". We do not, however speak that way say, of cancer. No one ever  says, "She (or he) IS cancer." As we speak, so we think (and feel). The former way of speaking about those who have a mental illness indicates that we equate the person with their illness. He or she IS mentally ill, no more, no less. To speak in such a way is to put the person in a little box, neat and defined and where they are expected to stay.

The problem is, however, that life is never quite so neat as our definitions. People with a mental  illness are not only that illness. They are sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, coworkers and employers.  And so on. Often, the mental illness goes into remission, sometimes permanently. Why would we place a stigma on someone for a temporary condition and which affects only a part of their lives? We may as well tattoo "Mentally ill" on their foreheads. Essentially, that is what we do as a society. Those human beings are effectively pushed  away. Why? Because we are afraid of them. Why are we afraid? Because we do not understand and what we do not understand we fear. And what we fear we ostracize.

As a society we have been asked to (forced to, in many cases) get beyond that kind of fear several (many) times over. One only has to think about the civil rights movement. And even there, we have a long way to go. We have been so afraid at times that we have put people in camps (Japanese Americans during WW II) or on reservations (with Native Americans).  How often must we fight this same battle? Apparently we still have more work to do regarding inclusiveness and appreciating diversity. Those with a mental illness deserve to be respected and treated as full human beings and included in society as full participants. That can only happen, however, when we, as a society, make the decision not to be afraid of the differently abled. Let each of us make that decision sooner than later.