Stigma does a lot of harm to people with mental illness. The Stop the Stigma page on Mental Health @ Home provides an overview of posts on this important topic on the blog. Here are some of the highlights.
The stereotype linking mental illness, especially psychotic illnesses, with violence is pervasive and extremely damaging. This link simply is not accurate, yet it's regularly reinforced in the media. These blog posts address the topic:
There are also stereotypes that health professionals use, like attention-seeking and drug-seeking, that are dismissive towards those of us with mental illness who are seeking treatment.
We are so much more than these stereotypes. To make that as clear as we can, we need to keep talking about mental health.