In my experience as a consumer, a minister and a peer specialist, stopping or, busting stigma will not empower consumers’ recovery.
Busting stigma or busting ignorance about mental health disorders will only leave the same needed discussions and education about how we effect the mental health of others.
This discussion should turn from how to stop those who stigmatize to how to empower those who have been and are being stigmatized.
For those in mental health who don’t know how to empower consumers, they should shake off the shame and ask, “What is empowerment?”
It is not empowering for consumers when peers and professional learn textbook techniques that do not provide the discussions necessary to removing the erroneous and problematic insecurities that plague most, if not all, consumers of mental health services.
Empowerment, real empowerment, must be taught and learned repeatedly. Compassionate empowerment will ultimately be the final state of humanity’s collective mental health.
Minister Charles Lee Jr
Via email