Breaking the Stigma and Shame of Mental Illness | Kitty Westin | TEDxFargo
Suicide leads to over 44,000 deaths each year in the U.S. Stigma against people with mental illness is a major contributor to this unacceptably high mortality rate. Kitty uses heartbreaking true stories and scientific facts to help the audience understand ways to challenge their thinking and join the fight to reduce stigma and shame. Kitty Westin, a licensed psychologist, founded the Anna Westin Foundation (now known as The Emily Program Foundation) following the death from anorexia of her daughter, Anna, in 2000. Soon after Anna’s death the foundation opened Minnesota’s first residential treatment program for eating disorders; The Anna Westin House. Kitty is an advocate for people affected by eating disorders and has become a nationally and internationally recognized authority on the impact mental illness has on individuals, their families and the community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
32 Comments
I am well now but have had my struggles in the past The stigma and ignorance is so real among the general population and medical professionals as well. I've also recently had cancer and although there was one person in particular who treated me pretty badly through it… you are correct in saying that you are viewed as strong and courageous when trying to help yourself and going through medical treatments for that. I am absolutely horrified at the story you told about the Doctor who told that poor girl that she had done this to herself. I do hope he was held accountable. Even I know more than that and my career is not in the medical field!
With a seemingly altruistic agenda, the fact is campaigns aimed at ending the “stigma” of mental illness often have a hidden agenda: they are driven and funded by those who benefit from more people being labeled mentally ill and drugged—the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry. The conflicts of interest with many of these groups is so pervasive that in 2009, a U.S. Senate investigation probed into the nation’s largest mental illness advocacy group, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The group was asked to disclose any financial backing from drug companies or from foundations created by the industry. It was revealed that in two years alone (2006-2008) the pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) funded NAMI to the tune of $23 million, representing about three-quarters of its donations. NAMI still partners with psychotropic drug manufacturers.
Other groups of concern were Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), and Mental Health America (MHA), formerly the National Mental Health Association, to name but a few.
Great talk. But my wife has called me crazy affectionately even though I have depression, addiction, suicidal ideation and anxiety. It's not always meant to stigmatise. I'm saying this to share a contrary life experience.
Thank you for your hard work.
If you can read character… you can see whom you can trust… anorexia is not a real illness… most people lack character… you can't trust a bad person…
Thank you for this TEDx Talk! Great Job! I am very sorry for the loss of your daughter.
We do not choose to have a mental issue! 👏
The shame and guilt from having mental illness (and chronic illness! Yes I have the "pleasure" of having both!) is just so, so, SO great… It is more wearing on me as a person than anything else. We HAVE to erase the shame and guilt for us sufferers or the suicide rate will NEVER go down!
Thanks for this video. It’s hard to deal with the shame of fighting to overcome mental illness or psychosis.
How about taking away your Second Amendment right? Isn't that stigma and discrimination?
A diagnosis IS a new identity whether you agree with it or not. The freedom to "self-identify" is removed.
Stigma and labeling is oppression and tyranny.
Stigma and labeling is oppression and tyranny and fear.
Stigma and labeling can cause you to commit suicide. Nevermind the actual problem.
Thank you so much!
I concluded that eating disorders come from parents pressing their kids too much, so that kids find the way to control their lives in at least some way. I would talk about that and what can be done in order not to make your own child feel suicidal.
Covid-19 was a big gateway for breaking the stigma! When the masses felt the hardship of mental distress, it became cool to be into mental illness.
You're just performing for the status quo. You won't understand without having pity.
Break the stigma?
Please refocus: It is those taught or teaching that prejudice who merit attention. They have done enough harm.
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I admit I suffer from Depression,Bipolar,Anxiety,Ptsd plus some physical issues. I’ve endured so I much trauma through my life. Fact Is I no longer have that. I do find most basic things incredibly exhausting and stressful. Its like I can longer handle stress such as bills. I am currently in my bed unable to get out, meaning 4 days now not showering randomly eating napping here and there. Sleep pattern is off. This is a day in the life of a mental disorder. One would ever know if you seen me. I am a model, non union actresses a grandmother and parent. I love my family and have a handful of true friends. Its not ever enough. Its all in my mind. I fight the horrid thoughts daily. It matters none how one looks. This is a definite blind disability. I am trying to be helpful by sharing but I reckon reaching out too. I don’t know you but if you are the one whom suffers such as I do, perhaps you understand this is real and very draining. To those whom know anyone that has bipolar, let it not be a stigma. This is real. There is no cure yet. Unfortunately there is no cure yet.
One of the worst things about having mental health challenge ADHD ,Autism spectrum disorder , is love one’s saying I’m making it up.
Thank you, this is so important ❤
‘Reducing stigma saves lives’ – this woman is a legend
Sorry, but this "stigma" is correct. There is nothing inherently weak about struggling, but you do have to fix it yourself. How you handle your challenges says more about you than having those challenges in the first place. Becoming a mindless pill-popper is not a solution and is not something that should ever be normalized or accepted.
I think that undoing the wrong of stigmatizm therefore opening treatment to those that need it should be the goal of psychology in the 21st century. I like to think of mental disorders as some type of adaption that has been made and working from that perspective the sting of stigma is lessened.
Stigma not eased by these Cheesy Presentations. I have Bipolar 1 .
I’ve been battling with serious ulcers for the past nine years and can’t get any medical help because they deem me as mentally unstable.
Spiritual seeking,
like all seeking and searching
for some future state of happiness and freedom,
is driven by the repression of buried childhood emotions/traumas.
Even spiritual finding (such as awakening experiences, for example)
or sudden and gradual shifts in consciousness
can subtly lead toward landing on pointers like:
"Be with what is",
"Allow everything to be" or
"Rest as awareness"
and away from the source of suffering in our bodies:
REPRESSED EMOTION.
The somatic unconscious
is where most of the suffering programming
that runs our lives: lives –
and – short of a miracle – that treasure isn’t going to unearth itself –
Dig!
Do you all know,that mental illness can be spiritualy induced?yes it can,ask the spiritualists.the dark magicians.i have lost love ones due to this.the demons are alive and thinking im none the wiser.but time will tell.nothing goes unpaid😅😅
Thank you so much.
Talk, Listen and don’t make fun of mental illness. We all have thoughts, feelings and emotions. We can’t control everything all the time; be kind, be brave and think of others❤