Stigmatization

What is wrong?, Why me?,Am I that bad?, Why do people hate me?, I am not loved, I am useless.

These are the questions and thoughts asked by people experiencing stigmatization. Stigmatization in our society has increased, people are being stigmatized because of their condition, situation or circumstances. Stigmatization in our society has contributed to the increase in mental illness of people. Stigmatization is as a result of a label that associates a person to a set of unwanted characteristics that form a stereotypes, if we can do away with the way will label people and show them love and affection it will help to increase a sane and safe society. Those who are stereotyped or marked with attributes or mark often start to act in ways that their stigmatizers expect of them.

Stigmatizing an individual is an action that carries emotion, assumption, beliefs.

Stigmatizing people will not only change their behavior, the way they act or do things, but it also play a part in shaping their emotions, beliefs, values , assumptions. Stigmatization is an act of showing people negative emotions and feelings, the emotions and feelings are then interpreted by people stigmatized which can make them develop some negative assumptions about themselves which may include their identity, characteristics and so on.

Stigmatization causes depression and put an individual social identity in a threatening situations, Stigmatization can make people feel little of themselves, causing them to have low-self esteem, people with low self esteem are mostly ones who have been stigmatized with a mark or attributes.

Stigmatization reduces individual from a complex whole and usual person to this unwanted, tainted and discounted individual. Stigmatization affects many if not all aspects of an individual life and results in significantly reduced life, because they have been discounted and they will not be able to do things usual or unmarked people do. Stigmatization involves a combination of discriminatory behavior, negative emotions and stereotyped beliefs and prejudiced attitudes toward marked individual. Marked individual are individual who are stigmatized with certain mark or attribute by another individual or more powerful group of people.

Stigmatizing mark or attribute is used to differentiate and separate marked individual s (them) from unmarked individuals (us) because of the associated judgment that individuals so marked are tainted and viewed lesser. Stigmatizing involves having negative attitudes, feelings or discrimination against someone viewed as having a distinguishing characteristics which includes a mental illness, health condition, social disability, situations or unfavorable circumstances.

Stigmatization occurs in a different ways,but the one surrounding mental health is still common, but it is not limited to that alone, stigmatization happen in schools, workplaces, neighborhood, among family members. Stigmatization contribute to poor mental health of people, not everyone that is stigmatized is suffering from mental health, but stigmatizing people can make them feel worthless of themselves which in turn affect their self-esteem negativity and their well being including their mental health become poor.

Stigmatization is a social process of devaluing people or groups based on a real or perceived differences which includes;

(1) Culture; Cultural Stigmatization is rampant in our society, culture is a way of life of a group of people. It encompasses our beliefs, values, behaviors, symbols. Nowadays, Culture has given an avenue for people or group of people to stigmatize group of people who does not belong to their. Culture ought to be valued and respected,but people now Stigmatized and discriminate culture. Powerful cultures in our society dominate lesser culture which include the practicer of such culture. Our culture should not be an avenue for people to discriminate or Stigmatize each other cultures.

(2) Gender; Gender stigmatization is as a result of cultural discrimination, most Culture seems to value men over women. Gender stigmatization is harmful when it limits an individual to develop their personal abilities, fulfil their potentials, pursue their goals or make choices about their lives. Women are not allowed to take some roles due to some stereotypes issues. Ascribing roles, specific attributes or characteristics to a certain gender will not allow the society to develop. People should be able to do things they love and capable of doing not only Stigmatizing them.

(3) Religion; One of the major reason of conflicts and violence in our society is as a result of religion. Religion stigmatization should not be encouraged, religion should be a way of showing towards one another. Religion Stigmatization means treating a person or a group of people because of their religious belief.

(4) Health; People suffering terminal disease or any health issues which include Covid, HIV, Cancer or mental illness are often Stigmatized because of their health conditions. During the recently global pandemic outbreak Covid-19, the people infected narrated how they experienced stigmatized and the rate was alarming. Stigmatization of people suffering from health deficiency in our society is very high. Mental illness Stigmatization should be not be encouraged, people should be shown love and hope irrespective of their health conditions.

Other forms of real or perceived differences causing stigmatization includes;

• Age

• Body Image

• Sexual Orientation

• Intelligence

• Socioeconomic class

Stigmatization should not be encouraged in our society, let us fight it and improve our mental health and well-being as a society.