I think that the stigma behind mental illness is driven by our societal norms and how we believe we should behave and act. Those with mental illnesses are often seen as weak and/or unstable. There are many factors that affect mental illnesses like age, gender, and culture. I believe that in our society we don’t want to share our stories of mental illness because we are afraid of being judged by others. As I’ve grown older I’ve found that the stigma associated with mental illness has begun to subside but it is still very present. Self- stigma is influenced by your community, your support system, and social media. I’ve found that social media makes me often compare myself to others and influences me into believing that I should behave, look, and feel a certain way. 

            Culture is something that heavily affects how someone perceives mental illness. Some areas don’t have the resources or education to properly help those with mental illnesses. Someone’s culture might also change how someone talks about mental illness with a provider. How they perceive their symptoms or how they think they should feel will affect their response. Someone might think that the way they feel or are behaving is normal when it isn’t. Religion also affects how someone may perceive mental illness because it often outlines how someone should or shouldn’t feel. For example, someone who is believes in heaven might not understand why someone has become depressed over the death of a loved one. An example that I’ve seen within my culture is LGBTQ individuals, who also practice religions such as Christianity, who believe that their feelings regarding their sexuality and/or gender is wrong.