HOW DO WE TALK ABOUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS TO FAMILY AND FREINDS?

 Mental Health is extremely personal.  The decision to share a mental health diagnosis or treatment with others is deeply personal as well. Unfortunately the issue is due to stigma. Many people see mental health issues as controllable or even a flaw in one's personality.  The more complicted part is that people who see a stigma associated with mental health may not realize that there is a stigma at all. It may just be the environment where they live, how they were taught growing up, and even what we see in pop culture or on TV.

I feel that the choice to share your mental health diagnosis and treatment to be a choice that is made with a full understanding of consequences. Should you share with family or coworkers, you should understand that due to stigma, people may make judgements about you. People may make assumptions that are untrue. It is only through education that the public will start to understand mental health as an illness to be treated like anything else. 

So, as you consider stigma and the effects that may cause you personally, you may wish to keep your treatment private. Once and if you are ready to share with others, your therapist may have tips and tricks on how best to share and what to do if you feel uncomfortable.

Ultimately your mental health is your private matter. You should share if you feel it would benefit you. If you feel it would cause your mood to worsen, please keep your private matters private.  We all have a right to privacy.