Unfortunately, a huge stigma exists in society today about individuals that suffer from mental illnesses. This stigma somehow remains despite numerous famous and successful people coming forward with their own stories about their battles against mental illness.
The only thing that will rid society of this stigma is education. Society must be educated so that people suffering from mental illnesses will not be ashamed or even scared to come forward and tell their stories.
Admittedly, society has made huge strides in making mental illness a more acceptable topic of conversation and treatment. In the past, many individuals that suffered from mental illness were simply locked away and not allowed to interact with society, but that has changed dramatically. Today, there is a much greater understanding of what mental illness is and many more ways to treat it.
However, there is still a long way to go if we are to make sure that no person suffering with a mental illness is ever discriminated against. They are entitled to appropriate care, just as they would be if they were suffering from a physical ailment, such as arthritis or heart disease.
Not only is it a matter of doing what is right, it is also very important economically. People that suffer from a mental illness are much more likely to be or become unemployed at some point in their lives. Many of these people are chronically unemployed, which can create a huge financial strain on the unemployment and welfare system.
We, as a society, have the responsibility to do away with the stigmas that exist which surround mental illness. The only way to do this is by educating ourselves and others as much and as often as possible. As the barriers that surround mental illness continue to fall and more people come to understand that having a mental illness is not something that anyone wants to have and that mental illness is as much a disease as cancer is disease, society as a whole will benefit.