Many people experience stigma from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The condition can be debilitating since the symptoms can lead to tremendous emotional distress, and individuals with PTSD often experience problems with relationships, work or school.
Effective treatment for PTSD and other disorders are available, but these treatments are only helpful if they are sought out by someone with the disorder. Unfortunately, this does not always occur.
People with PTSD may also be more likely to develop other disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, or substance abuse problems.
Among a large group of people with a variety of diagnoses (for example, major depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders), fewer than 30 percent actually sought out treatment. People with PTSD may be particularly reluctant to seek help.
Barriers to Getting Treatment
In one study of 1,387 people with a psychiatric disorder, barriers to getting care included the severity of symptoms experienced, difficulties with daily routines, and abusing alcohol.
These findings suggest that, at least for some people, the stigma associated with having a mental illness may prevent them from seeking treatment.
The study found the most common reasons people did not get help for PTSD.
Stigma
Stigma refers to associating negative qualities with having a mental illness. For example, a person with a mental illness may be wrongly viewed (and may even view themselves) as being weak or “damaged.” This perception leads to feelings of shame or embarrassment.
Stigma may be particularly pronounced among military service members with a psychological disorder. For example, one study found that among United States service members returning from Bosnia, 61 percent strongly agreed with the idea that disclosing a mental illness would harm their career.
In addition, 43 percent strongly believed that admitting to having a psychological condition would cause other people to not want to be around them.
Another study of U.S. service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan found that beliefs associated with “being weak” and fears of being treated or viewed differently by other people in their unit posed a barrier to seeking treatment for mental health conditions.
Service members were less likely to follow through on a referral for help with psychological problems compared to a referral for medical problems.
What You Need to Remember
Having a psychiatric disorder or a history of mental illness is not a sign of weakness or a reason to feel ashamed. Mental health conditions are common and many of the factors that cause a psychological disorder are completely out of a person’s control.
There is no evidence that disorders develop as a result of someone not being strong enough. There are many effective treatments available for mental illness and ways to learn how to cope with your symptoms.
