It’s Mental Health Awareness Month. You’d think I wouldn’t have any problem rattling off a column, but I’ve rewritten this first paragraph at least four times.
I just have so much to share with you.
Should I talk about the shocking suicide rates among children in the U.S.? (The second leading cause of death in children ages 10-14 is suicide.)
That more than 60 million Americans have mental health conditions?
How about that anxiety is the most common mental illness?
I know. Let’s throwback to a column I wrote in 2018. About fashion icon Kate Spade dying by suicide. Ms. Spade suffered from depression and didn’t want anyone to know because it might hurt her brand — this came from a report from her sister. Ms. Spade was supposedly worth millions, meaning she could’ve had access to treatments not available to the average depressed Joe. But no, stigma won. Tragedy comes in at second.
And here we are, eight years later, still battling stigma in 2026. Has it gotten better? Sure, but it’s still a formidable proponent despite efforts by mental health organizations and destigmatization campaigns by celebrities. I suppose I’m more sensitive to it because I work at a mental health nonprofit — I see it every day — but it feels like shouldn’t have such a strong hold on us.
Some people I meet don’t share with their loved ones that they’re taking psych medications because of stigma. Or that they have a therapist. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve lied about both of those things in the past, but we shouldn’t have to. Other people I meet don’t even reach out at all to get help from a doctor or get medication because of stigma, which is even worse. Those things should be normalized. I think we (depressed people) mask our symptoms and withhold our truths because it’s easier, and we don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable on top of being judged or shamed. It’s too much!
When I returned home from a six-week stay at a psychiatric hospital in Houston, I openly talked about it with friends and acquaintances but was told I shouldn’t admit that in public. That person was trying to embarrass me, trying to find shame in the dark corners of my brain, but guess what? My brain is lit up with flood lights. Stigma no longer resides there.
I’m not saying everybody must talk about their mental health conditions — some things are private — but if you want to, you should be able to with support and without judgment.
Let’s not forget that stigma causes suicide. It intensifies feelings of shame, isolation and hopelessness, which are drivers of suicidal ideation. Stigma is a barrier to seeking help and can worsen existing mental health symptoms, increasing the likelihood of suicide, according to NAMI.org.
In 2023, the most recent statistics available, more than 49,000 people died by suicide in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s one death every 11 minutes. This is not an uncommon problem. And stigma is to blame.
It’s why a lot of us plaster a smile on even when we’re suffering.
We mask our symptoms because it’s easier — who wants to hear, “I couldn’t take a shower or brush my teeth today. I’m so sad, and I’m having suicidal ideation. I don’t think I’ll ever feel better, and nobody loves me.”
For the record, I do want to hear.
Most people would rather you just smile and say, “I’m doing well, thanks!” Because it makes them feel comfortable and safe.
But we must stop doing that. Forget making people feel better. I know your loved ones would rather hear how you really feel rather than go to your funeral.
If we want to destigmatize mental illness, we have to be real with ourselves and others. Or stigma wins. Suicide wins.
It’s time for us to win.
No more silence, no more dark corners.
Just light and love.
For more than 20 years, Heather Loeb has experienced major depression, anxiety, an eating disorder and a personality disorder, while also battling the stigma of mental health. She is the creator of Unruly Neurons (unrulyneurons.com), a blog dedicated to normalizing depression, and is the affiliate leader of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Corpus Christi.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Being honest about mental illness helps beat stigma
Reporting by Heather Loeb, Guest columnist / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
