Mental Health Stigma and the role Religion Plays

By Amber Joy Kostecki

 

    Mental Health Stigma is when someone views a person in a negative way just because they have a mental health condition, and nine out of ten people with a mental illness feel that stigma and discrimination negatively impact their lives.

    Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses in existence. BPD is characterized by emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, unstable relationships, and an ever-shifting sense of self. Although it is not well-understood, BPD is prevalent, with more than 3 million cases diagnosed each year

     I am one of those cases. I was diagnosed almost five years ago, and like many others, finally felt relief at learning the name for the thing I had been suffering with for nearly a lifetime. After being diagnosed (and still to this day), I spent/spend a lot of time researching BPD and anything and everything about it, as well as mental health in general, and the stigmas attached to it. The stigma of mental illness is very real, and I've personally felt it many times, from doctors and nurses, to police officers, and even from others who also have serious mental illnesses, who one would think would have a better understanding and empathy towards mental health.

    But perhaps the reason people stigmatize BPD so harshly is because they don't (and most likely, can't) understand the reasons for our behaviors, and what caused us to develop this disorder. I wrote about this in my last blog post, entitled "The Borderline Cycle." I created this concept in an attempt to guide people to a better understanding of BPD. In it I describe the life cycle of someone with Borderline, in which the second life period is "somebody does something bad to us that we don't cause or deserve (trauma)." And that trauma directly causes our fears of rejection and abandonment. And it is those fears that cause us to act in the ways we do, as we search for the love and approval we never got and desperately need, doing whatever it takes to attain it, surrendering to our automatic impulses, and even going to extreme measures in an aim to end our eternal suffering.

    The internal suffering we feel is only amplified by the external stigma we endure. A recent Surgeon General's report indicated mental illness stigma as "the most formidable obstacle to future progress in the arena of mental illness and health." There are multiple ways stigma is perpetuated in society, such as the ways mental illness is depicted in the media, adverse stereotypes, using harmful language, and treating mental illness like it's something you can just "snap out of." While these views have been largely studied and accepted as such, there is one area of mental health stigma that is seldom talked about, let alone investigated, and that is the subject of the role religion plays in the stigma of mental health. This type of stigma needs to be highlighted and examined in depth to determine the most advantageous and objective approach to eradicating these specious and outdated beliefs. 

    One of those beliefs is that mental illness is a punishment for your sins and that if you have a mental illness you are a disappointment to God. An example of this view comes from an article written by K.B. Napier. The article is simply entitled "Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)." In it, Napier states "any such behavior, whether called simply sin or BPD, is unacceptable and an offense against God Almighty." He also says that "all of the symptoms of BPD are those of sin." These statements are just utter nonsense. But Napier takes it even a step further, saying "Psychiatry is founded on invalid postulates. Almost all 'classifications' of mental illness are shams, used as an excuse for sin," as seen in the graphic below. 

     I find it hard to believe that people still think this way, but considering that there were many comments on the article agreeing with it, I am forced to accept the fact that people do in fact think this way, no matter how out of touch and ignorant it is. I see my own mom in this though, as she "does not believe in psychiatry" and has never even been to a counselor, even though she clearly suffers from some kind of mental illness. I think part of it may be denial; denial that she ever endured whatever trauma it is she endured, and denial of the results of that trauma. The term denial in psychology is defined as a defense mechanism that involves a refusal to accept reality when a situation is just too much to handle. 

    I suppose the reason mental illness and psychiatry are not accepted in some religions could be denial, given the fact that it is easier to just deny it than to face it. But what good is it doing to deny it? It only perpetuates stigma and can lead to unsatisfactory outcomes for both the person suffering and the people around them. 

    Not only do the views in Napier's article bolster mental health stigma, they also cause people with these types of views to look hypocritical. I learned about this hypocrisy early in life, as I attended 12 years of Catholic school, and saw first-hand the hollowness involved. Religious people with views like Napier's are judging and speaking ill of others, which directly goes against what they claim to believe in. Titus 3:2 states "to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people" and Matthew 7:1-5 says "Judge not, that you be not judged." And what about the Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have them do to you?"

   Something needs to be done to stop the religious stigma of mental health. Extensive research and in-depth studies need to be done on the subject to determine the most fitting way to improve the relationship between religion and mental health, since neither one are going anywhere, and a cooperative compromise is the best solution. 

    In order to end this stigma, religious leaders need to be required to be certified in an extensive mental health training program since education is a key factor in reducing stigma. Other ways religious leaders can help in forming an alliance with mental health is by showing compassion for those with mental illness, speaking openly about mental health while encouraging others to do the same, and recommending professional mental health treatment, along with religious counsel, when approached for guidance. The picture to the right shows the frequency that church leaders are approached for help with mental illnesses, so imagine how many people could be helped by being recommended to seek professional help. 

    Religion does not protect people from experiencing mental illness, nor can they overcome that illness with "bible study and prayer alone," even though 35 percent of Americans believe that they can, as indicated by an article in The Guardian. It is this 35 percent that is keeping religious mental health stigma alive. What we don't know is why these people think this way. Perhaps they were brainwashed. Or maybe they grew up that way, or they really just don't know any better. In any instance, we need to educate the ignorant and the naive in order to end the religious stigma of mental health. I believe that ending this type of  stigma can be accomplished, although it will most likely be the very last type of stigma to be eliminated, will take the longest, and will require the most work. But anything is possible.