There must be more stigma about mendal disorders than almost anything else. (Note: Under the umbrella of "mental disorders" I'm including bulemia, anorexia, self-mutilation, schizophrenia, mania, depression, bipolar disorder, and more.) The reason I say this, is that millions (yes millions) of people are affected by these mostly genetic and chemical disorders, and yet only a tiny fraction feel they can be open with other people about their disorder.
"Coming out of the closet" is a term used by homosexual individuals to describe the process of self-revelation. Similarly to a mental disorder, people with same-sex preferences have had to "hide" a part of who they are, a part of their essential being and personhood. One way to become aware of what gays as well as mentally ill people go through is to imagine a world where heterosexuality was condemmed. In that scene, people who liked the opposite sex would be a minority. So they would likely be misunderstood, mistreated, and maligned. They could not be open about their "dirty little secret" because it would have severe social and employment consequences. To even consider becoming more "open" about who we actually are is a supreme act of courage. And yet, as one of my favorite therapists Mark Robinson once said: "There are very few true needs, but one of them is to be fully known".
Click on the title for a link to a great article discussing the "Risk in Emotional Disclosure"
1 comment:
On July 23-24 I had a family reunion in Branson, MO. They are not very Mature. The Stigma of homosexuality is too great to discuss out loud. No need to bother opening a discussion about my own stigma of mental illness. The two may be equated in this family since I have a body language reeking of effeminency. Exercise is no use either. We must live with the hand we are dealt.
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