Dealing with mental health stigma is a challenging and daunting task at times, and it may push us to our limits on a number of fronts. Not only do we often feel negatively about facing mental illness and self-stigma, but we have to deal with the stigma out there, which often hurts us emotionally and makes life all that more difficult to tackle. As we face the everyday, there are ways to deal with mental health stigma, whether it be from friends, family, society, or the media.

Recently, I have developed an intense fear of flying, and it is quite odd because it never used to be this way. In my mid-20s, I flew to South Korea twice, and I even passed out during the entire flight, snuggled beside the emergency exit. Things have definitely changed over the years, and having a mental illness has made traveling quite a bit more daunting. Not only because of the fears that crop up, but from encountering stigma during my travels.

Mental health stigma affects parents with mental illness because society labels and judges them negatively. Parents with mental illnesses are often told that they are inadequate caregivers, simply because they have mental health challenges. They are accused of not being able to properly care for their children, especially on their own, and at times they are left battling for their right to be a parent. But parents with mental illnesses deserve more than mental health stigma.

It seems more often these days that celebrities are coming out and admitting to the world that they have a mental illness (Do Celebrity Disclosures of Mental Illness Help End Stigma?). Some people feel that celebrities are glamorizing the issue and not demonstrating the realities of a person who lives with a mental illness (Is Having A Mental Illness A Gift?). However, I consider this act of honesty to be both empowering and courageous because their voices are not only prominent, but most importantly influential.

There is a certain underlying stigma in society that is strong, impactful, and often devastating for many people who live with a mental illness in the workplace. Not only are particular professions extra stigmatizing for the person involved, but there is this false idea lingering out there that the person employed is somehow unworthy, their skills are questionable, and they are often pushed out of their position.

The most prevalent question I receive from my Bipolar Babe peer support group participants is, “I met a wonderful guy/girl and she/he wants to take me out on a date, so do I tell them that I have a mental illness?” It’s a valid question and a concern that many people have right from the start, with good reason. It can be scary telling someone, anyone, for the first time that you have a mental illness due to the stigma that exists in society. In my personal experience, and hearing stories from others, mental health stigma and intimate relationships can spell doom and gloom, or they can provide a positive platform for empowerment and honesty.

Looking back on my younger years, my early 20s to be exact, I recall life being so different. My most significant worries were breaking up with, yet again, another boyfriend, choosing which nightclub to frequent with my girlfriends for the weekend, and what bikini I was going to wear to the beach for the approaching summer season. There were barely any worries as I was an avid social butterfly, and made new friends everywhere I went, and most especially I never had a problem being social.

Having a mental illness brings a world of new perspectives, life experiences, and a change in reality forever. How does one survive the everyday, when it feels at every turn you are hit over the head by a new challenge facing mental illness stigma? It is never easy to deal with a mental health issue and it is equally as difficult to manage with the everyday annoyances, put downs, negative media reports, and a world that is just plain stigmatized.

Stigma is often something that we perceive as being out there in society, but, actually, it too is rampant, and a reality, in the lives of many families. When a family member is diagnosed with a mental illness, the fear often sets in and they panic wondering, “How am I going to tell my family?” One may assume that a family is assured to be empathetic, understanding and accepting, but this is not always the case.

In this two-part series, I speak with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, D-RI, about mental health stigma and the work he and others are doing, not only to combat stigma, but to bring research into brain disorders and illnesses to the forefront. Kennedy is a co-founder of One Mind for Research, a group dedicated to brain disorder research. In this interview, Kennedy speaks about mental health stigma; the role his uncle, President John F. Kennedy played in bringing about treatment to local communities, and the role of post-tramatic stress in the "astronomical" suicide rate of today's veterans.