Breaking The Stigma

 Written by: J Shiruti 

Edited by: Yashi Shah

 MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH

Do you come in that primary fraction of the population who believes that mental health specialists are emotionally, mentally, and cognitively robust enough that they are immune to sadness, anxiety, and depression? If the answer is yes, then it is a lofty time to unlearn. Being a psychologist or a psychiatrist is rocky. Having to deal with clients and their concerns, it is challenging to balance their own. The stigma around the same provides no help. For years now we have neglected the mental well-being of mental health professionals. Aren't they humans like the rest of us? Imagine how it is to be in a profession of such prime importance but not being able to verbalize your mental well-being honestly? Just like any other profession, mental health professionals experience burnouts. It is a profession that demands constant attention and presence, physical as well as emotional, and often include erratic schedules.

Depression is prevalent in psychiatrists who have a suicide rate greater than that of the common population and even elevated than that of other scholars. There is also a high suicide ratio in psychologists, with some researches indicating that close to 30% have felt suicidal and almost 4% have made a suicide trial.

Over the strains of being a psychiatrist, psychologist, or another mental health professional, there are numerous explanations as to why some practitioners of these professions may be susceptible to mental health illnesses.

How would you feel being enclosed by 20 emotionally vulnerable people? Picturising it will compel people to feel anxious and uncomfortable. Now, imagine the atmosphere mental health professionals inhabit. A completely cynical and gloomy setting. Even when they have been taught about mental health as an unbroken concept, we have to concede to the certainty that they are human and it is solely natural and ordinary to feel anxious, stressed out, and depressed. 

Many practitioners with mental health troubles including psychiatrists, do not self-disclose because they are worried about being sanctioned by licensing units. One additional reason is judgmentalism and prone to loss of their credibility. This hypothesis has been historically stigmatized throughout the sphere. 

In the past couple of years, There have been 'real indications of progress' in addressing mental illness candidly and disseminating aged myths and prejudices. According to Dr. Saks, "The best way to curtail stigma is to put a human profile on mental illness, rather distinguishing by different identities or and professionals."