How to Deal with Self-Stigma

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• How to Deal with Self-Stigma
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: Hope for a Better Bipolar Life. Is It Really Possible?
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

How to Deal with Self-Stigma

Mental illness is a bully. Worse, it’s a voice that originates within us, so all the cruel thoughts come right from our own mind. This self-stigma is part of nearly every single mental illness and personality disorder.

Have you ever:

• Blamed yourself for “ruining things”
• Worried about mistakes
• Felt guilty for being mentally ill
• Believed that you’re not good enough

This is only a partial list of the thoughts and feelings that come with mental health struggles. These beliefs and emotions can stop us in our tracks. It’s hard to move forward confidently when you’re stigmatizing yourself. Despite how it might feel, you can stand up to mental illness, laugh in the face of self-stigma, and be kind to yourself. Here are some ways:

• Befriend yourself; talk to yourself the way you talk to a friend; get to know yourself in ways that have nothing to do with your illness
• Practice self-care; eat well; exercise; get the right amount of sleep
• Keep a running list of your strengths and passions

When you counter the self-stigmatizing words of mental illness with positive actions, you are on your way to making your real, compassionate voice the one you hear the most loudly.

Related Articles Dealing with Mental Health Self-Stigma

• The Cost of Self-Stigma
• A Guide to Overcoming Self-Stigma
• Self-Stigma: When Mental Illness Stigma Comes from Within
• I’m Mentally Ill, and I’m Not Ashamed
• Depression Self-Care for When You’re Really Depressed
• Guilt: A Distressing Effect of Anxiety

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: Do you engage in self-stigma? What kinds of negative things do you say to yourself concerning your mental health? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page and on the HealthyPlace Google+ page.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Bipolar Disorder and Cigarette Smoking: Why We Do It
• How to Stay Positive When You Are Depressed
• Letting Go of Borderline Cycles of Drama in Recovery
• Should Alters Share Responsibility in the DID System?
• How to Make Time for Self-Care Today
• Why I Chose Mental Health Activism Over Political Involvement
• 4 Self-Care Guidelines for Depression Management
• Try New Anxiety Management Strategies to Beat Old Anxiety
• How to Face Down Your Triggers in Eating Disorder Recovery
• A Day in the Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder
• False Assumptions About Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• 10 Ways Mental Health Recovery Develops Great Entrepreneurs
• Hidden Costs of Raising a Child with Special Needs
• What Is Rumination in Depression and How Do You Deal with It?
• Benefits of Social Media for Mental Health Support
• Is Coercive Control the Same as Verbal Abuse?
• Dealing with Fatigue at Work When You Have Depression
• ADHD and Writing: Challenges and Strategies
• Borderline Personality Trigger: Canceled Plans

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

Hope for a Better Bipolar Life. Is It Really Possible?

Can you live a better bipolar life than you are right now? I believe you can live a good life with bipolar disorder, and it starts with our mentality. It's not about reciting affirmations every day or telling yourself to think positive when you feel extremely low, but the way you define what it means to live a good life with bipolar. (Watch Hannah)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Light Therapy Increased My Schizoaffective Anxiety Over Time
2. Does Uncertainty Cause Your Anxiety and Worry?
3. Mindful Social Media Habits Protect Your Self-Esteem

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"I have this problems: I isolate myself, then become upset because I'm lonely."

Read more borderline quotes.

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That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook, stumbleupon, or google+) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week, circle HealthyPlace on Google+, follow HealthyPlace on Twitter or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook. Also, check out HealthyPlace on Pinterest and share your mental health pins on our Share Your Mental Health Experiences board.

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