How can we as a community combat stigma faced by people with mental health problems/ illness?
I think the answer to this question lies in mutual respect and responsibility. The wider community has a responsibility to accept and aknowledge the fact that those with mental illness are not always dangerous psychopaths, but instead just people who have problems and need our support rather than pity and fear. The responsiblility of those with mental health problems is to keep up good engagement with mental health services, continue to take their medication when outside of hospital and to make all effort to learn about their illness and their own personal relapse signature. If everyone made the effort to educate themselves about what mental illness means to a person and their communinty, one would hope the the stigma would reduce. Also, perhaps more patients outside of hospital would be more eager to engage with services if they did not feel embarrassed and ashamed to be seen to do so. In addition, I agree that this should be taught in schools, along side the fact that much research h
