The earliest meaning of stigma, was a physical mark which signified shame. Nowadays, it has transcended to being an invisible mark which separates you from others. The downside with stigma is, it places focus on the person’s difference, instead of on the individuals who are separating them.

A good number of people do not just experience stigma for a reason, it may be experienced based on quite a number of various prejudices such as gender, culture, physical disability and the likes. Stigma could transcend to mental health problems, and it could even lead to addiction as well.

People who are affected by mental health problems, usually mention the fact that, the social stigma which is linked with mental ill health and discrimination which they go through, can cause their difficulties to exacerbate and make recovery a harder process.

Studies have shown that a good number of people who are down with mental illness, mentioned that they were not happy concerning their health problems, and they also stated that they were treated with disdain by people who knew them.

Fear is one of the major factors which leads to discrimination. This fear is basically the fear of the issues and violence as well, simply because they adversely affect our behaviour and mind. The media itself could also contribute to strengthening these fears.

In addition to this, false beliefs are another factor which causes stigma. Most people are usually of the opinion that there are certain illnesses which cannot be healed, and the people who have them, should not be allowed to participate in certain activities.

Stigma also has the capacity to affect friends and family. In some places, the whole family usually render support to anyone of theirs who has a stigma, because they identify firmly as a group.  

For people who are stigmatized, it is advised that that they are not looked down on, and isolated. These set of people need the best form of help they can get, so that they would not go on to do something which they would eventually regret.