Speaking to a Wider Audience about the Positive Contributions of Psychiatry

We live in a world that is increasingly complex, intense, and stressful. Most people, at some time or other in their lives, can make good use of psychiatry as they map their course and steer their way through it. While this holds true, there also exists a very disturbing trend. No other branch of medicine suffers a similar, constant criticism, scrutiny and quite often downright vehement protest. Even the service users, who have been greatly benefitted, choose to stay mum for fear of stigmatization that may follow if they admit to have undergone therapy. The onus lies on both, the service users and providers alike, to take the positive contributions of psychiatry to the masses at large. All of us, especially medical professionals, need to consider our own attitudes and awareness. The recognition that anyone will break down if mental stress is high enough should help free us from a ‘them and us’ attitude. Reading about people's own experience of mental illness can promote understanding: Examples include a successful actress and a prize-winning author. For mental health practitioners, enabling service users to influence service development is another strong anti-stigma move. A cognitive behavior therapy approach can help individuals overcome the stigma felt and also cope better with discrimination. Also, we need to stand up against mental health discrimination wherever it is encountered.