Stigma

Last night I went out and enjoyed a drink with my brother. I know it’s not recommended, but I’ve found that I can drink in moderation on occasion. So over a beer, we got to talking about my new blogging endeavor. Over the years, my older brother has been my strongest supporter. He is a physician in a family of doctors, so he has a better perspective on a lot of what I’ve gone through than someone not in the medical field. He has been there for me through all of the trials and tribulations, and there’s no one who celebrates my success and stability more than he does.

So I showed him my first few posts on this site and said that I hope to develop it as a writing platform for my completed manuscript. He was all for it, but then we got to discussing what would happen if my students and the community found out. As he intimated, everything on the internet is open for public consumption. And his words stymied me. As much as I would like to ignore the notion, I feel like I would be judged by my students and their parents, maybe even the teaching staff and my bosses. It’s a terrible thing but it is the truth.

He suggested that I continue to blog anonymously and to not attached my blog to my Facebook page unless or until I am completely ready. He left me with a final thought as he concluded, “if you were in any other line of work, I’d say get it all out there, be public, and have your voice heard, but teaching is a whole different animal…”

So my conclusion following our enlightened discussion is that the stigma attached to mental illness still exists, in some places more than others, but it is still very present and real. My plan is to continue to write because it is therapy, but to think long and hard about who I share my story with and how I go about getting it out there for public consumption. I guess I’m still without the answers I am seeking.