What do you think of when you think of a person with a disability? Do you ever consider people with mental disabilities? These can be just as trying and unfortunately there is a huge stigma when it comes to receiving counseling or even mentioning that you might have an issue. For me, I was really frightened to go to counseling. This was not only because I was having a lot of emotional problems but also because my mother and father both went to counseling and had nothing but issues with getting counseled. My mother was in complete denial about her diagnoses and still will not acknowledge she has any sort of issue.

My dad stopped going for a reason that he never fully disclosed. I was also afraid to go because of the looks you get. You get weird stares from strangers who have never met you and can feel them judging you. If people find out you have any sort of mental illness they seem to tiptoe around or assume you act in a certain way because of a diagnoses. They assume your problem defines you. A lot of the time this can put additional pressure on somebody who needs help but chooses not to get it. This could lead to comorbid issues such as in addition to anxiety they may also have depression. Next time you hear that someone you know has a mental disorder please treat them as an equal. Treat them as you would other friends or acquaintances.

Fight the stigma.