Breaking the Silence: The Stigma of Mental Illness

Imagine being blamed for having cancer.It's unthinkable But whilst physical illness usually evokes a positive, sympathetic response, people frequently react to mental illness in a dismissive, alienating, even scornful manner.No-one who is mentally ill should ever feel the need to apologise for it. But too often, fear and ignorance lead to a sufferer being marginalised and ostracised by friends, neighbours, family and work colleagues. Despite mental health disorders being so common - one in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their life - it continues to carry a social stigma. The consequent loss of jobs, friendships and marriages compounds emotional pain, adds to the sense of shame, isolation and desperation and makes recovery more difficult. SANE (to which all profits from this book will be donated) and other charities worldwide are campaigning vigorously to change public attitudes, helping to inform about mental health issues and making it more acceptable to speak about them.Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho, wrote: 'Each person knows the extent of their own suffering...' In this book fifteen courageous people of varying ages, nationalities and backgrounds tell us insightfully, openly and honestly in their own words about the distressing, stark reality of living with mental illness. And their experiences reveal the immensely damaging impact of others' reactions.By the time you have finished reading these heartfelt and powerfully-expressed stories you will be better able to understand what it's like to have mental health difficulties.