Confronting Stigma

Well, I'm back from a short visit to crazy town.
No, I'm not talking about mental illness, mine or anyone else's for that matter. Instead, I entered the truly insane world of the scientifically illiterate, the ill-informed, and the bigoted.
You see, earlier this fall I got tired - no, not just tired, but sick and tired, of post after post on Facebook, all made by the same person, questioning the safety and efficacy of immunizations.
There seems to be some kind of a social taboo these days against calling these people out, flatly stating their sources are biased and poorly documented, telling them that they simply don't understand science. What I've noticed most frequently is the failure to understand the difference between causation and correlation.
I know it's tempting to follow the old edict of "to each his own," except in the case of immunizations, choosing not to protect one's own children from the scourge of childhood diseases - and unbelievably, even cancer - doesn't affect only that individual child. Immunizations only work when upwards of 95% of the population is protected. When too many holes are poked in this herd immunity, outbreaks of disease will occur, threatening even those who have been vaccinated.
Who would ever have thought there would be a vaccine against cancer! Yes, that's what the Gardasil vaccine is folks - a vaccine against cancer - and there are people out there who claim it's dangerous, offering no scientific proof whatsoever; or, crazily enough, that it isn't necessary.
It's a vaccine against CANCER, people.
Anyway, after a heated exchange in which I could not get those arguing the anti-vaccine side to answer my most basic questions about their objections, and during which the tone turned decidedly nasty, I let the argument die. Instead, I simply matched each wacky, biased, anti-science link with a counter link.
I was finally unfriended, and frankly, I wondered what took them so long.
I have no problem whatsoever with ending contact with someone who causes you distress - after all, I'm sure it's difficult to deal with information that contradicts your world view and calls into question your own health care decisions - especially when that information is coming from sources more credible than holistic internet sites.
It was after the unfriending that things truly turned nasty.
Years ago, when first one, the two, then three of my children, and finally I, myself, was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety disorders, I decided that the only way to fight the societal stigma of mental illness was with honesty.
After all, mental illnesses are no different than any other illnesses of the body. Are people embarrassed or afraid to speak of their heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma? Of course not. Therefore, I have always been open and honest about who I am and the illnesses I have. In case you're wondering, I also have hypothyroidism (gasp!) and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (beware!).
After all these years, I've encountered very little real-life stigma, especially since my children left public school. And you know what? When you're honest about your own mental illness, it's amazing how many other people follow suit and talk about their own issues with anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc.
I guess I've come to take having depression in stride, as I have with my other conditions.
That's why I was so shocked to discover that these people - with whom I had argued about vaccines - spoke openly and cowardly on Facebook, insinuating that I was crazy and irrational because I have a mental illness.
Talk about being floored!
I guess it's easier to dismiss someone who is telling you information you don't want to hear if you can simply call her crazy. Jeez!
I must admit this blatant use of the fact of my mental illness against me was shocking. Truly shocking. That there is that much stigma out there just under the surface is truly frightening.
At first it made me rethink whether I should continue to blog openly about my and my children's struggles with mental illness.
But if I don't speak out, who will?
Until the fact that I, or anyone else has a mental illness is treated no differently than any other illness (would anyone ever say 'disregard her arguments, she must be irrational, she has cancer you know), it behooves everyone to stand up and speak out.
Anyone, of course, can disagree with me, think I'm a *itch, or that I'm mean and poorly-informed.
Just don't blame it on an illness - any illness - I happen to have.
Weirdly enough, you could even try to counter my positions with factual information:)