Mental illness is a serious condition affecting millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by various factors and manifest itself differently, but it's typically associated with severe emotional distress. The World Health Organization estimated that every year, 154 million Filipinos suffer from depression, 1 million from schizophrenia, and 15.3 million from substance use disorders, while 877,000 die due to suicide (Department of Health, 2018).
The stigma surrounding mental health is so prevalent that many people who need help do not seek treatment due to fear of being ridiculed or ostracized by friends and family members. In this article, we'll look at common misconceptions about mental illness in the Philippines and some ways you can help reduce the stigma toward people suffering from these conditions.
The Causes of Mental Illness Stigma
The stigma surrounding mental illness in the Philippines is so strong that many Filipinos are afraid to seek help for mental health issues. This stigma results from three themes in the public perception of mental disorders, according to a qualitative study by Tanaka et al. (2018). The first theme is familial issues, in which the family rejects or disowns a member with a mental disorder because they think it can be inherited. The second is irrational pessimism and optimism regarding the severity of the condition, according to which people with mental illnesses would either unquestionably have a substantial functional impairment or be able to overcome any psychological pain on their own. The oversimplified chronic course is the last, in which persons who do not have mental diseases treat others and anticipate a quick recovery.
The stigma around mental illness means that people are afraid to talk about it and admit they have a problem, even when it's affecting their lives and their families. The fear of being ostracized or misunderstood leads many Filipinos with mental health issues to suffer in silence—often until it's too late
Mental Health is only seen as a problem when you're crazy.
In the Philippines, mental illness is often seen as a problem that needs to be fixed. The perception of those with mental health issues has been shaped by how they are treated in society and media.
Mental illnesses are often viewed as signs of weakness and an inability to deal with life situations rather than conditions that require treatment, support, and understanding. In Filipino culture, there's still ignorance about mental disorders. Most people see it as something that only happens to crazy people or criminals - not a disorder that can affect anyone at any time in their lives due to external factors such as stress at work or home (or even genetics). They also believe that they can heal themselves through prayer alone; this leads them away from seeking proper treatment for their condition because they don't want others to know about their situation, so they don't have any more stigma attached to them.
Filipinos don't talk about mental illness because of shame and guilt.
Mental illness is a taboo topic that is rarely discussed in the Philippines. Most Filipinos do not think about or question their mental health because mental illness has traditionally been viewed as an individual problem resulting from personal weakness or character flaws rather than a medical issue. This belief system has led to stigma towards people with mental illnesses—a lack of understanding and negative attitudes towards them due to fears of unpredictability and violence.
Because people with mental illness often feel shame and guilt, they may feel shame because they are afraid of being judged by others or guilt because they feel like they have let their family down if they cannot function normally in society. These feelings can lead to isolation and further self-esteem issues when little support is available from loved ones or medical professionals who do not know how to help them cope with these emotions.
Knowledge is vital to fight mental illness stigma.
Knowledge is critical when it comes to fighting mental illness stigma. The stigma of mental illness results from ignorance; the lack of knowledge and understanding about the condition causes people to make assumptions based on myths, stereotypes, and misconceptions. It also results in discrimination against individuals with mental illnesses or those who are perceived as having such conditions.
Knowledge is power when understanding what mental illness is and how it impacts an individual's life experience. By understanding these factors better, we can better understand how we can help our loved ones who suffer from these conditions get proper treatment and care. This will hopefully result in fewer instances where they are subjected to discriminatory behaviors that may even lead them down a path toward self-harm or suicide attempts (which are common among people with psychiatric disorders).
Conclusion
We need to do more as a society to help and support those who have mental illnesses. We need more awareness about mental disorders to understand them better and know how important it is for people to seek treatment.
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, please seek help from a trained professional. There are many resources available that can help you get started on the road to recovery. You don't have to suffer in silence anymore!
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