The two faces of the blade: Stigmatization and internalized stigmatization

Abstract

Stigmatization is a serious problem that felt by 54.6% of bipolar patients. The most dramatic deterministic about attidues of bipolar patients towards their illness is decreased self esteem that occur result of illness. Stigma and internalized stigma experiences of a patient with bipolar disorder will be transferred in this case report.

Case

31 years old, married, female patient. She is having bipolar disorder treatment for three years. About her diseases she said that “ıt is the worst illness among all of the illness, because mind is the organizatör of the human body, if you loss your mind you can not move your hand or arm”.About public stigma she told that “people afraid because of harming by us, when they see us on street they enter their home, they don’t give permission to touch their child and run away from us. My brothers wife saying me afraid from me and don’t want to be alone with me.” Also patient said that “I’m not having a talk with my neighbour because I feel they won’t take seriously me. I stayed in hospital for 28 day because illness after discharged I didn’t told anyone about staying in psychiatry clinic. In the past I done eveything but now I’m doing nothing. I feel all of the weight of the world on me. I feel myself weak both as physical and mental”

Conclusion

Stigmatized people believe that others will devalue and reject the people with mental illness and experiencing negative outcomes such as demoralization, decreased self esteem, impaired social adaptaion, unemployment, decreased psychiatric treatment adherence.