Part of the reason I'm writing this blog is to share our knowledge of mental illness with our friends and anyone who wants to read this... The more educated the public becomes, the less stigma there is. Stigma refers to negative attitudes or beliefs that are held about people who are perceived as different.
People who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are all likely to experience stigma. Public attitudes and beliefs which are often based on fear and misunderstanding, stereotype individuals with mental illness, exposing them to prejudice and discrimination. Stigma infects every issue surrounding mental illness, often with worse consequences than the illness itself. Many people who suffer from mental health conditions won't seek help because of the stigma. In 2001, the World Health Organization declared stigma to be the 'single most important barrier to overcome in the community"
Stigma and discrimination are different. Stigma is the beliefs, discrimination the actions. There is no legal action against stigma, only discrimination. There is also self-stigma where one feels self-loathing or embarrassment as a result of their differences, often because of the negative perceptions around them.
I know when we first found out that Kit had schizophrenia we were totally shocked and scared. I had no knowledge of mental illness at all. Even having completed 3/4 of a nursing diploma - I never learned very much about it. I thought maybe it was like the book Sybil with the girl who has multiple personalities. I thought it meant aggression, and something not treatable. But after poring over information given to us by the hospital and the Ontario Schizophrenia Society we began to learn more. I think what really made us understand was spending time at the hospital with other patients. You know they all have an illness, with some it's more obvious than others, and some people you just can't figure out what brings them to the hospital. They seem mentally and physically healthy. Mental illness presents in many forms and every patient is different. Now when I see someone on the street I try to understand that they are just struggling with something like Kit. They are somebody's son or brother, sister or mother. It is so hard to support someone with mental illness who isn't ready to help themselves, so many people end up having a rough life.
Kit has been out of the hospital now for eleven days. He is living in his brother's two bedroom basement apartment with another guy. He is really happy to have his own space and some independence. Adam and his girlfriend live upstairs. We were away on holiday when he was discharged so Adam thankfully took him in and set him up. Kit wanted to leave the hospital, and although he still believes he is in a virtual reality and nothing is really real, he is not at risk of harming himself or others so he gets discharged. Our stipulation is that he stay on injectable medication so that we know he is taking it and we don't have to be the pill police. He HATES the needles. They are big, the volume of medicine is large and it really hurts. Besides that he has to go up to the psych ward with the nurse, go to a special room, drop his pants and get a needle in the butt. How humiliating. He told us last week that he thinks the needle will kill him - hit an artery or something. And he still believes it's just 'virtual' medicine. So why would he want to take it? And he has self-stigma. He said he doesn't want to be the one with schizophrenia for the rest of his life. (at least that was a spark of recognition that he has an illness - but still sad.)
Good news that I have a friend who told me about another drug similar to what he is taking that can be taken in the ARM!!! Smaller needle and less volume. Now why didn't the hospital suggest this? When he has repeatedly said how much he hates the needle in the butt? Why don't they try to work with him?? Isn't it the most important thing to keep him on his meds? ARGHH! Anyways - I faxed the info to his doc today and hopefully tomorrow he will get the shot in the arm. And hopefully it's much less painful. I'll let you know...
If you have any questions - please don't hesitate to ask!
