One of the most significant barriers to effective recovery from any kind of challenge is that of stigma. Stigma has a profound effect on how systems of any kind organise themselves- Whether that be political, corporate, or cultural. What is considered unacceptable or shameful will always be singled out, thus making it harder for those who bear the brunt of those stigmas to move forward or change behaviour. 

Here are three powerful ways of combatting and psychologically dealing with stigma 

1. Education. 

This point may seem obvious, however, there are methods that seem to work  and there are methods that do not seem to be as effective. We can lean on the guidance of Dr Patrick Corrigan, a professor of psychology who spent decades developing anti-stigma intervention programmes.  In multiple interviews, Dr Corrigan repeated the point that overly-scientific or technical approaches don’t work. He cites George H. W Bush’s mental health campaign as an example of this. This campaign highlighted the fact that people who suffer from mental illness’s brains were different from normal functioning individuals. Members of the public were shown  brain scans  of individuals who  were not mentally healthy with the aim of highlighting that those with mental illness suffer from a biological problem that is no fault of their own. 

This intervention had the opposite effect, as it gave evidence to those with a strong bias against people who suffer from mental illness that mentally ill people are fundamentally different to them and inferior. 

Instead, Corrigan recommends an approach that encourages people who have suffered to speak out en masse. This does two things, it suppresses bigotry- as the more people speak out about a specific experience, the more normalised it gets, and it allows for people to learn first hand from the individuals themselves. 

2. Self- Compassion 

Self-compassion is a powerful tool for those who are suffering from stigma. The concept of self-compassion has its own stigma attached to it with many people  believing that being  self-compassionate will not increase their competency or make them reach their own goals. In reality, studies have shown that self-compassionate people are more likely to show resilience when met with hard situations. There are several methods of practicing self-compassion that are recommended by therapists. Some of the more popular ones include practicing “Loving Kindness” meditation,  practicing mindful self-compassion, and developing a supportive inner voice.  

3. Acceptance. 

 Acceptance of difficult situations, difficult thoughts and difficult feelings is a great tool for developing perseverance and empowerment. Steven Hayes, one of the founders of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy claims that practicing acceptance is one of the keys to psychological flexibility, which allows people to live closer to certain values that they hold dear, a vital aspect of human flourishing. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement, instead Hayes phrases it as a choice one makes to actively allow themselves  to feel their full range of sensations, emotions, and memories without trying to suppress or control them.  This is also crucially not an attempt at making oneself feel better about a certain situation. Although this may seem quite daunting, especially for those dealing with stigma, it actually helps as a tool for liberation. The paradoxical task of allowing yourself to experience your own experience (the good and the bad) is actually a commitment to wholeness and authenticity which can be incredibly motivating and validating. Hayes has described how this mentality helped him overcome a severe panic disorder. During one particularly difficult attack, Hayes actually said this to his disorder: “I don’t know who you are. But apparently you can make me hurt. You can make me suffer. I’ll tell you one thing you cannot do: You can’t make me turn away from my own experience.”