Stigma and How to Address It

Mike Doughty, December ‘23 Newsletter

Since we are back in the holiday season, there will be a lot of people traveling and seeing family that they don’t see that often, or maybe for longer than normal. This can be a very awkward time of year, especially for LGBTQ people, as we try and navigate who we can be ourselves around, what topics of conversation we have to avoid, and even sometimes having to choose how a partner is introduced. For folks that have a disability, a history of substance use, or any other background that is not deemed by society to be “correct,” there can be a lot of stigma around their identity that can bring extra stress to the holidays. LGBTQ people also have to deal with anti-queer stigma, being told from all sides that we are “unnatural” or being targeted for “grooming” children as is frequently talked about in our current politics.

Stigma is any negative attitude, prejudice, or false belief associated with specific traits, circumstances, or health symptoms. Stigma often leads to discrimination. Stigma can come in a variety of forms, and often includes imposing shame or othering about a certain trait or population. Stigma gains power by othering and silencing people, and by having those that believe it continue to spread misinformation about people. Stigma can occur at the doctor’s office, grocery shopping, and in your own language when you talk about people.. It can appear suddenly and out of nowhere, even from your family members during normal conversation, because of how pervasive it is in our society.

For people who have to live with stigma, it’s important that they have allies in breaking the chain. While they can talk about their experiences and do anti-stigma work, it’s vital that people outside of those communities do their part to talk about the real issues and problems that come up, not just what has been commonly repeated and used as a weapon to harm. As always, take what you can from this and make sure to focus on your safety as the number one priority. But, some ways to fight stigma are-

1.       Be open and talk about your experiences. It can be scary and hard, especially with the stigma-fueled voice in the back of your mind telling you not to, but it is important. When you are at a place to do so, talking about your experiences can make so many other people feel comfortable to talk about their experiences as well. This can be done individually, or in a group setting, and having a mental health provider can also make this process easier and safer to do.

2.       Call out stigma when you see it. This can be directly calling someone or a policy out that fuels stigma, or pushing back against comments like “you don’t look like you have a disability”. This can also look like leaving and refusing to do business with someone who makes those comments and letting them know that comments like that are unacceptable.

3.       Reach out to communities and recovery programs that help fight against stigma. By learning how best to support each other, we make our communities stronger, and help to make actual change that will better each other’s lives.

4.       Pay attention to your language. Do what you can to learn what words are being used by the communities you are talking about, what terms carry more stigma or directly other them. This might be a constant journey of learning and relearning, but learning is never a bad thing. It’s also important to remember to stay humble; you don’t know everything and if you get corrected, don’t get defensive. Apologize and adjust.

5.       Talk about resources with others! Mental health education, prevention and harm reduction education, and just actually meeting the people who are in stigmatized communities. All of these can be a great way to help reduce stigma.

Dealing with stigma is NOT an easy or comfortable thing. You may need to make new boundaries with family members or coworkers, or you may have to sit down and have an honest look at your own feelings and biases, and really ask why you hold certain beliefs. End the year by pushing back against stigma, especially when it directly targets marginalized communities, and as stigma is reduced, our society will see amazing long term benefits as we learn more and come together.