10. “I Will Listen”: How social media can fight the stigma of mental illness

     Unfortunately, many people suffer from mental illness. Most of those people chose to conceal the difficulties they are facing from family and friends due to various reasons, even if the person can help. The National Alliance on Mental Illness investigated this and found out that many patients hide because of the fear of being stigmatized. They teamed up with JWT New York marketing company and formed the "I Will Listen" campaign. The idea is for the patients to find support and give support in social media, like Facebook, Instagram, twitter, and Vimeo. Since 2013 hundreds of people have shared their experiences with mental illness. Also, many colleges have organized a "day without headphones". This is dedicated to students hearing their peers needs. Philadelphia also held a day fair in June to inspire the participants of the project. The NAMI-NYC found that there is a need to address the discrimination being held towards the mental deficiencies. There idea that the patients illnesses is somebody's fault has been replaced with the idea that their disorders are incurable. The discrimination they face throughout simple life experiences intensifies their fear. There has been ever since a reduction on people looking to medical support. However it has been addressed that a way to counteract this problem is throughout contact. People who carry the disorder will then carry less negativity towards themselves. “One in four Americans may experience some form of mental illness,” Kane says. “But four in four people can participate and make a difference.”

     In this article written by Daisy Yuhas for Scientific American, the author informs the reader about the common problem of prejudice towards mental illness, why it is caused, and how it can be solved. The author uses contemporary language and a passive tone. She starts out by explaining about the cam pangs for helping the patients. Then she talks about how discrimination affects them in a positive way. In the end of the essay there is a certain aspect of hope. The author shows how those people with mental disorders can be helped.

http://www.salon.com/2014/09/21/“i_will_listen”_how_social_media_can_fight_the_stigma_of_mental_illness_partner/