The Quest!
Would you like to know more about mental illness but don’t know where to start?
Taking this simple quest will help you identify what you do and don’t know, and we’ll provide some answers for you along the way.
Just follow the prompts at your leisure (you don’t have to do the whole lot in one go) – and we’ll take you systematically through your journey of discovery about mental illness and mental health in the New Zealand context.
Our quest is based on the KXXD workshop format.
If you are from an organisation and would like to learn more about better supporting people in your workplace, please contact Charlie for more information. If your organisation is a private business, NGO or religious group – Charlie can organise to run a workshop for you.
| TOPIC | ACTIVITY | KEY MESSAGE |
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What is mental health?
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What is your understanding of mental health? How do you define it? Write down your answer if it helps you. |
Just like our physical health, which can vary in quality over our lifetime, our mental health can change too. We all live in a continuum of mental health. Mental health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely when you do not have a mental disorder or disease. There are many different mental health models that you may or may not relate to. Read more about them here:
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Mental health continuum |
Ask yourself these questions:
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We all live in a continuum of mental health. Mental health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely when you do not have a mental disorder or disease. Read more:
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Early memories |
Ask yourself what are your earliest memories of mental illness? Think about the first time you noticed yourself feeling down or anxious or troubled in some other way. What messages did you get about this from your school, friends, family, etc? Were they positive or negative? |
This exercise will help you see where things began and will give you the opportunity to explore your own beliefs regarding mental illness and why you have them. Do you think your understanding of mental illness is accurate?
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| Mental health and the media | The first impressions we get of mental illness often come from different parts of our society, one of the most common being the media. Often we pick up inaccurate information from media especially when it comes to the portrayal of mental illness.
Think about any TV show or movie you have watched, and how they describe someone who experiences mental illness. Good or bad, compassionate or cruel? Accurate or misleading? Read some real stories from people who have experienced mental illness. |
Media often portray a stereotype of mental illness, and we in turn often just take on the message without further examination. Portrayal of mental illness in the media
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| Defining stigma and discrimination |
Mental illness discrimination prevents people seeking What is your understanding of stigma and discrimination? Write it down. |
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| Experiencing stigma and discrimination |
Think about an experience where you have been the victim of discrimination. If you don't like the experience of being the subject of discrimination, do you think this would also apply to people who have mental illness? Do you think this might result in social isolation? |
People who experience mental illness are human beings like you and me. Often people who experience mental illness:
The experience of being discriminated against is unpleasant. It disempowers people and sometimes has a lasting negative impact. Experience of discrimination is the same regardless of whether or not you are someone who experiences mental health issues or not. Learn how to advocate for yourself or someone who experience mental illness to stand up for their rights. |
| Internalised/self stigma |
Do you know what internalised stigma means? Think about an experience where you have been the victim of discrimination. How did it make you feel then? And now?
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Discrimination from various parts of society often impacts negatively on individuals – the person who experiences mental illness takes on negative messages based on their early memories of mental illness. This belief of what mental illness is manifests in that person and makes them feel stigmatised and isolated. This is especially so when family and friends act according to the negative beliefs. Internalised Stigma What can I officially complain about? Model of internalised stigma, published by the Mental Health Foundaiton of New Zealand. |
| The Mason Inquiry |
Have you heard about this inquiry? Do you know how it came into being?
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The 1996 Mason Inquiry in New Zealand idenitifed stigma and discrimination as one of the greatest barriers to recovery. The Mason report says: "We support a public awareness campaign - it is a must. It is fundamentally wrong that a vulnerable group in our society should be continually subjected to the comments and actions of those who possess an outcast mentality... We are optimistic enough to believe that a well-informed New Zealand public will then realise that people with a mental illness are people whom we should nurture and value." |
| Making a difference |
What would you do now, based on your research of self-stigma, to make a positive difference in your life? Write it down if it helps you to articulate your goals. |
Read about real people who have worked to make a difference in their own lives.
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For family members |
As family members, do you know how you can effectively support a family member who experiences mental illness? |
Read about real people who have had family members who have made a positive difference to their lives. |
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Concept of recovery |
Do you know what recovery means and how to help yourself get there? |
Read about real people who have made a positive difference to their lives. Voices of recovering service users. Take responsibility for your own recovery. Recovery starts from confidence and action. Read more about recovery: |
| Resources on mental health, stigma and discrimination | Do you know how and where to find good resources to help you understand these concepts and help you or a loved one find help to recover? |
There are many places to go to for help. This website provides crisis numbers, helplines, support groups lists, links to other websites, a Resource & Information Service, including a library in Auckland and an online catalogue. We also publish real stories about people like you. And we keep an up to date calendar of events so you can see where seminars and meetings are around the country that you can take part in. National Depression Initiative Everybody health consumer website National Institutes of Health US NZAPP |
