Discrimination

As with many others, I have faced discrimination because of my mental illness; for example, at school, from those around me, the police , and even within the psychiatric system. The level of ignorance scares me. Acceptance of others' differences seems so hard to come by.

Discrimination comes from prejudice, ignorance and fear, and doesn't come from open-minded, empathetic, caring people. People discriminate against what they cannot understand and mental illness definitely fits the hard to understand category. However this does not mean anyone has to stand for it!

My own experiences with discrimination because of my mental illness were what led me to start this campaign. In my opinion, mental illness is not talked about enough, and I believe that by getting tongues wagging we can beat discrimination. If people were more aware then the fear would be gone.

No-one deserves to be discriminated against for any reason, including their diagnosis. We are all human, and we all have the right to be treated equally.

Related Free Your Mind Posts:

Talking About Stigma Towards Mental Illness

What is the Free Your Mind Campaign About?