Screw stigma. I’m coming out.
I’ve kept it to myself for years, but now I believe the only way to fight the stigma of mental illness is to talk about my own.
.. Last fall, a majestic blunder by a UK store, Asda, led to a brilliant and spontaneous social media campaign to fight back against the enduring stereotypes surrounding mental illness. The store had advertised a Halloween “mental patient” costume featuring a wild-haired man in torn, blood-covered clothes carrying a meat cleaver.
The response was swift, stunning, and beautiful. People all over the UK responded with photos of their own: drinking tea, walking their dogs, sitting on the couch, along with the hashtag #mental patient.