Push back against the stigma of mental illness
We know about celebrities’ dating lives, but we don’t always know about their struggles with mental illness. Gina Rodriguez (anxiety), John Hamm (chronic depression) and Demi Lovato (bipolar disorder) have been willing to talk about what it takes to manage their disease. That’s enormously important, because stigma against mental illness keeps many people from getting the treatment they need to manage it and to accomplish their life goals.
Can you imagine a boss or family member saying to someone: “You have psoriasis? Well, pull yourself together and stop being so self-indulgent!” But that’s often said or implied to folks who are coping with emotional-health issues.
So, how do you dodge the negative effects of stigma?
1. Talk openly about your condition when appropriate. Hiding it only fosters shame and self-doubt. Mental illness, like chronic physical illness, is a disease.
2. Don’t go it alone. Seek professional help to manage the physical and emotional aspects of the disease. Remember, safe medicines and psychosocial treatments are highly effective.
3. Replace “I am bipolar,” with “I have bipolar disease.” You are not your condition.
4. Join a support group and find a buddy.
Managing any chronic disease is tough enough without having to fend off people’s ignorance. So take a stand and make sure someone (doctors, counselors, support group members, family) is standing alongside you. You’ll help your buddy as he or she helps you; the reward of helping someone makes everyone younger and healthier.
Turn off your phone to stay in the here and now
In a “Funny or Die” PSA, Will Ferrell plays a man with his face buried in his smartphone while at his family dinner table. When his daughter announces she drew a horse that day, Ferrell responds “Good for you, son.” His son then declares, “I’m selling bongs out of our minivan.” As the overblown “confessions” snowball, Ferrell never looks up to acknowledge his crestfallen family. Funny, but sad … and not uncommon. Almost 90 percent of you told the Pew Research Center that you used your cellphone during your most recent social gathering.
We’re pretty sure that the oblivion and disrespect that often accompa- nies cellphone use in social situations inflicts harm on the phone user and those nearby. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology indicates that we’re likely right. Researchers had participants go to dinner with friends and family in groups of four or five. Half were told to leave their cellphone on the table to receive and respond to a research question. The other half were told to stash their phones, and answer a research question on paper. Turns out the phone-using group was bored and had a lousier time than the folks who interacted without digital distraction.
This comes on the heels of studies showing that a phone in a classroom dumbs kids down and notifications trigger ADHD-like symptoms of inattention. So it’s pretty clear: In social situations, turn off, tune in and take notice. The rewards are real and immediate: Developing 3-D relationships is more fun.