The problem is we're not likely to stop stigmatising people with mental health any time soon. You can't make people believe something they desperately choose not to.
We think people are 100% responsible for their behavior, so if they do something wrong or inconvenience us, it's their fault, and they're bad people for it. They should just not complain or feel bad, because you're not entitled to sympathy for your mistakes or failings.
You have to have a convincing case for your misery, why you deserve sympathy, and how it's not your fault, and even then, don't you dare complain to much.
Obviously, I'm exaggerating a bit and don't feel that way myself. I really think most people believe some watered down version of this though.
There was an interesting article [0] from a decade ago about a NY agency called "Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities." When the agency was established in the 70s the social workers fought hard for the clinical word "retard" over prior terms like "moron."
Cut to 2010 and there was public outcry to have the offensive agency name changed but the people working there refused to give it up because they still held on to the more neutral meaning of "retard."
We think people are 100% responsible for their behavior, so if they do something wrong or inconvenience us, it's their fault, and they're bad people for it. They should just not complain or feel bad, because you're not entitled to sympathy for your mistakes or failings.
You have to have a convincing case for your misery, why you deserve sympathy, and how it's not your fault, and even then, don't you dare complain to much.
Obviously, I'm exaggerating a bit and don't feel that way myself. I really think most people believe some watered down version of this though.