STIGMATIZED . . . STILL?

MY STORY

2011 was a busy year for me as a mental health advocate, offering quite a few speaking engagements, something I welcomed, even though I was sometimes nervous about it. I’m just so very grateful that God has given me the passion and the desire to speak. So grateful that I am able to speak with honesty, knowing that I have nothing to be ashamed of. Such a precious gift God has given me! The ability to speak and write from my heart. Not feeling that I need to worry about being stigmatized. Knowing that I can be OK with who I am even if I do have a mental illness.

And I pray that what I do will encourage others not to feel shame, encourage others to be open and speak out, so that gradually we can reduce the stigma.

. . . BUT TODAY, IN 2024, things are quite different. My voice is not given a chance to be heard like it used to be. Nor does it appear do very many others with lived experience get opportunities to speak from their heart. I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that people with mental health issues aren’t thought to have anything worth listening to. And so, professionals speak about us instead of listening to our voices to learn what’s it’s really like to have such problems. I wrote the following in response:

GIVE US A VOICE OF OUR OWN

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
ensure justice for those being crushed.

Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT

“Speaking for the poor and helpless.” Is this what God really means? I think we need to be careful and think about that a little.

Not every oppressed or hurting person needs someone to speak for them all the time. Being voiceless should not be considered a permanent state. With support, the “poor and helpless” can grow—in health and in confidence. Perhaps we who live with mental health issues have too many people speaking for us, determining our needs, and not enough of them hearing our voices. Because we do have a voice of our own and we want to be heard.

Too often we’re not considered to have enough ability, credibility, and intellect to speak for ourselves. We’re not trusted enough to speak with wisdom. But we understand, better than anyone, what our needs are. We understand, better than anyone, what it’s like to be discriminated against, and we understand what pain that causes. We want to tell our stories. We want to be understood.

Is it our perceived lack of credibility that keeps us from being listened to? Some forget that for most of us our illnesses affect us episodically. The rest of the time, we’re as capable as anyone else to speak our truths.

As Christians who want to offer support to those who live with mental health challenges, why be a voice for us, when we could speak for ourselves? Why not listen to our voices? Being a voice for another suggests an “I know better” attitude that can strip away a person’s self-esteem. They lose the confidence to speak for themselves. And they lose an important part of what it means to be human.

We are real people, just like everyone else.

. . . and yet, there will be times when we need our supporters, just like any other person in the world. Please listen to us when we’re hurting and let us tell you about our needs. We will need you.

Will you be there?

marja