Facing the stigma

There are absolutely people out there who judge others with mental illness.  There are people out there who don't think it's 'real,' and others who think ridiculous beliefs regarding mental illness as some sort of punishment from God.  I guess we have movies to thank for that.  It's archaic, outdated and completely cruel to hold this belief.  The statistics of adults who will have battled a mental health issue in their lifetime are astounding.  I've most recently heard 1 in 5 adults will have such an experience.  We have a long way to go until respect becomes part of this conversation.

Regarding religion, I am not comfortable writing about it at this point in my life.  I leave that to theologians.  I have encountered some terribly judgmental people in my life and I don't agree that religion should be used as a way to scold and scare people if they hold a different belief than you.  Unfortunately, this is done everyday.  I can say that I have been treated by mental health professionals of all backgrounds, I have held friendships with people of all backgrounds, and I am a better person for being made aware and respecting people who are different than me.  

I saw a play recently at the Goodman Theater called The White Snake where a powerful monk tried to destroy a young woman whom he believed was a 'bad' person.  He was someone who could 'recite all the Scriptures but had a villainous heart.'  For some reason this line stuck with me.  Sometimes the most judgmental of all people never stop to reflect on their daily treatment towards others.  It saddens me that there is sometimes little empathy in the world.