On Wednesday of this week myself and another classmate will be visiting Butner (Central Regional)to observe a group treatment. As I was discussing this with my fiance, it came to me the horrible stereotypes that came along with just the name of the hospital. When I told him where I was going his comment was, "Oh- you better not stay long the crazy might rub off on you." I then went off on a tangent on how politically incorrect that was to say and how the people there are people just like you and me. I think that was a lesson for me this semester on how big a stereotype that a mental illness can give someone and how differently someone can perceive someone with that label. After my discussion with my fiance I went on to name a few of the celebrities that had mental illnesses and he was shocked to find out who they were and what mental illness they had because they seemed so "normal". I think that it is every one's responsibility now that we have some insight on the people that are there and who they really are, to stand up for them and correct people when they are negative. They are people too. I am interested to meet the folks at Butner and learn about them and their lives. I hope that I can post about that experience next and carry on a true blog. . .
I attached an article on how mental illness stigma's can not only affect how people think about you but how it can affect many other aspects of their lives that you may not have thought about:
www.post-gazette.com/forum/20000318gang1.asp
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