Speaking out on the stigma of mental health
Posted on 6th December 2022 by Dan Price
Persons with psychosocial disabilities frequently face stigma, discrimination and rights violations, including within and from the medical community, which reflects broader societal stigma. One doctor relates his personal experience here and how he uses it today to challenge stigma.
When Dr Ahmed Hankir first experienced extreme psychological distress as a medical student in the United Kingdom in 2006, he delayed seeking help due to the shame and stigma of having a mental health condition.
Exacerbating his distress was the added stigma of being a man of colour and a Muslim, which, with his mental health condition, made up what he calls a “triple whammy” of stigmas that he “internalized”. It led to him feeling “dehumanised”.
The stress and strains of working low-paid jobs to support himself as a student, and an outbreak of war in Lebanon, the country of his roots and where his parents were living, made matters worse. Meanwhile, he was living in a dilapidated house in one of the most dangerous areas of Manchester.
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