How to Educate and Advocate
An important part of pushing back against the stigma of mental illness generally and within the legal profession is knowing how to respond to stigma-inducing comments. I’ve heard them many times from well meaning individuals. I’ve heard that the mental health questions on bar applications protect the public. I’ve heard that people don’t want those with severe mental illness practicing law anyway. I’ve heard so many of these comments, often from people I respect who simply don’t know any better. And so I thought today I would share some thoughts with all of you about how to combat stigma by educating and advocating.
As a starting point, I assume most people mean well, even if they end up saying the wrong thing. I assume this because 1) I truly believe it, and 2), because even when dealing with those who don’t mean well, it is best to take the high road.
Second, I think about all the people, past and present, in my life, who haven’t understood my experiences with mental illness, regardless of how hard they tried. After all, mental illness can be hard to understand if you haven’t been there, that is one of the key ideas behind peer support. Many times, those who make stigma inducing comments simply don’t understand mental illness well enough to say something different.
Third, I treat these moments not as an insult, but as an opportunity. Most people have had some sort of challenge in their life. Even if they don’t understand the challenge of mental illness, it is likely they understand challenge in general. It is likely they know someone who has been impacted by physical illness of some kind. Yet they wouldn’t have the same attitude about those individuals practicing law.
Lastly, I give them examples. Most people don’t question the fact that I am a lawyer. They don’t second guess my opinion if they ask me for legal advice. And when I tell them that I live with mental illness, it can be a powerful counter to the preconceived notions they might have.
And that is because that type of education and advocacy has more power than you realize.