Stigma of mental illness

In the last recent years, there was a great acceptance and understanding of mental illness, although there is still a sense of shame is existing in the deep of the communities. Thus, we can see two sides of society, the people diagnosed and afraid of admitting and the societal reaction. On the other hand, people clearly show symptoms of mental health illness. They refuse to accept therapy or talk about it because of the stigma of mental illness stamped in their minds as strict traditional Emirati's. However, mental health illness is not a shame because it's a curable medical condition like heart diseases, diabetes, obesity. As the government provides doctors and medicines for these conditions, it also includes psychologists and psychiatrists for mental illnesses.

Besides, youth generations are more open to talk and discuss mental health illnesses compared to old ages. But because the old generations are the parents of the youth generation, you can see the struggle that the family lives because their children want to go to psychological checkups as they go on a routine-base to psychical checkup.

"Mental illness does not discriminate; it can affect anyone regardless of your age, gender, geography, income, social status, race/ethnicity, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, background, or other aspects of cultural identity. Mental illnesses take many forms. Some are mild and only interfere in limited ways with daily life, such as certain phobias (abnormal fears). Other mental health conditions are so severe that a person may need care in a hospital." (American Psychiatric Association, 2018).