Would mentally ill people be treated better if you could see their illness by looking at them?

[noname223]

I am not sure how you could see that they are mentally ill. Maybe it would help the concerned group. Or on the other hand the stigmatization could even increase. I mean in job interviews the discrimination would increase a lot.

Do you think it would be help the destigmatization? Or would the result be the contrary?

 

[motel rooms]

I sure as shit wouldn't want anyone to be able to tell I'm mentally ill by looking at me. Of course I'd be stigmatized.

 

[Ringo]

Many would change their perception of mental illness, at least in the sense that they would no longer see it as small or temporary things, as many perceive depression.

Many people may be condescending or even genuinely helpful in that case as they are with a person with paraplegia, but that depends on the notion that many have of these conditions, because there are still many people who see those who suffer from these disorders as crazy people, that can't be functional.

What would happen to a person who have bipolar disorder? People who suffer from this sometimes come to be seen as volatile and even crazy, the fact that this can be seen at first glance would only stigmatize them more and even marginalize them. What could happen to people who suffer from prosopagnosia? They would be even more obvious targets.

 

[lili]

I think it would be terrible if everyone could see me for what I am. Would make life a worst hell I think.

I sometimes feel that for some people hearing the word bipolar freaks them out. I think it has a heavy stigma in society. I always avoid talking to people about this because I've seen people's faces of shock and horror when they hear the word bipolar. And they think "you must be really crazy then"

I think it can happen with others too. I think it would be terrible. I think the labels also really limit a person. I think people are a lot more complex than their mental health labels, and everyone is an individual and we shouldn't see people by these labels.

To add, I think the same goes for psychotic episodes. People get really scared of this. I wouldn't want people to physically be able to tell this.

 

[odradek]

Absolutely not. It would be the contrary, stigmatization would increase.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Kind of seems like they'd be treated worse considering how harshly some people judge looks.

 

[onlyanimalsaregood]

I agree with everyone but I understand that OP was trying to say, in the sense that there is still a lot of stigma about depression and that most people undervalue it because it's something you can't see, unlike for example a broken leg, cancer, among other diseases. So for them it is not even considered a disease and they think that people with depression are just lazy, want to get attention or to be victims.

 

[WhiteGown]

It is the same with the but I don't look ill chronic conditions, I fear we live in a society where the norm is to not care or have empathy for others

 

[Dot]

Wndr if @noname223 mnt tht if m.h. ws nt 'invsble' & tht ppl hd objctve evdnce tht a persn hd an illnss rathr thn jst havng 2 belve th persn

 

[noname223]

Wndr if @noname223 mnt tht if m.h. ws nt 'invsble' & tht ppl hd objctve evdnce tht a persn hd an illnss rathr thn jst havng 2 belve th persn

Yeah this is also one thing I thought about. The possible devastating consequences of mental illnesses are often not seen. It is not taken seriously by some people. One reason for that might be that it is often invisible as you said.