Breaking My Silence: Confronting Stigma in Mental Health and Addiction

Notice: This article was co-authored with Sara Tapia, RN. More information can be found in the About the Author section underneath the reference list.

How does stigma shape the lives of those battling mental health issues and addiction, and what can we do to dismantle these barriers for a healthier, more inclusive society?

The Harsh Reality of Stigma in Healthcare

Today’s topic about stigma was chosen because of my own personal experience with it. While I was in active addiction, I had an issue with my gallbladder, but at the time, I did not know that was what was causing me the on-again-off again immense pain. I made several trips to a hospital I had been going to my entire life for emergencies, even though there were closer hospitals. I had always felt their level of care was amazing…until it wasn’t.

On my final trip there (as I never returned again after this), the nurses were discussing my labs, indicating my meth use and how it showed up in the lab results, out in the hallway where everyone could hear, including me. They told the doctor I was malingering, and he came in and discharged me without completing any other exams.

I went home feeling like a piece of shit. I knew I was addicted to meth, but I was also in severe pain. Because of this…