Many people have heard the word stigma and might have a vague idea of what it is or even a definition. However, in my experience, high school students pretend to know what a word is even if they have not heard it at all.
The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of stigma is “feelings of disapproval that people have about particular illnesses or ways of behaving.”
Stigmas are typically tied negatively to a subject, for example on the subject of mental health, people view it as a bad thing, they hear the words “mental health” and if it’s pointed at a person. They could think that that person is dangerous, crazy, or incapable. That is not the case; those are just stigmas attached to mental health. It is important to separate the two because mental health is not a bad thing.
Mental health, because it’s tied to so many negative things, has become something that is viewed as negative itself. From observing people close to me I’ve found that It is excruciatingly important that people receive the help that they need. These same people I know who have needed it the most have also been the people too scared to seek help out of the fear of being judged.
Stigmas connected to mental health are causing people not to get the help that they need.
Last year I took a survey of the school and over 50% of the students who responded were not aware of the mental health specialist working in the building.
I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Cara Jones, The Mental Health Specialist, about what she does to help students, and just to see who she is as a person. Over the course of our conversation, she spoke to me about issues, such as those stigmas connected to mental health. She told me mental health needs to be as normal as physical health, and how the world has twisted people’s views on this subject.
Jones then went into depth on how parents view it as a bad thing because of those stigmas. Though stereotypes and stigmas have been getting slightly better in recent years It’s still a topic people seem to be afraid to talk about. Because of this, It is wildly important to dispose of these stigmas and draw attention to this resource that many students are unaware of. Students shouldn’t be afraid of talking about their feelings; it needs to be normalized.
In response to a question I asked about why she pursued this job, Jones stated,
“This is my passion. Don’t ask me why, but you guys are the future, and I know that sounds too cliche, but if you don’t have someone to help you navigate, someone you can trust, then what will happen to the future? I tell students, I’m not on your parent’s side, I’m not on the school’s side, I’m on your side, and I don’t have a vested interest. This is just my passion.”
She continued to tell me about how she had worked with kids for over 40 years and came out of retirement just for the position she is in now. Ms. Jones continued to point out,
“ A lot of times people think that feelings are like a continuum, so like they end and flow, but some people think that you’re supposed to be happy all the time. And that’s not real life, but then some people think why me? Why do I have all these problems? That’s a part of life, and that is a part of mental health. Balancing all these different things, the happiness, the sadness, the highs, and the lows. And so I think what I would like to say, is don’t be afraid to feel all of your emotions, and if you really want to talk about it go see Mrs. Jones.”
Mrs. Jones is dedicated to her job and to the students. She is a person who is there to help students balance their everyday lives. It is imperative that the stigmas connected to mental health do not stop students from getting the help that they might need.
Ms. Jones is available and she is waiting. When I asked her my final question, “If you could tell everyone in the school one thing what would that be?”
She replied: “Anything I say will be a little cliche, but If I could tell everyone in the school one thing I’d say that, you are great just as you are.”
In short, some things you just have to experience, and Ms. Jones is one of those things. I know that I too might sound a little cliche, but reach out for help if you truly do need it.
