This Subtle Reaction Proved Mental Health Stigma Is Still Ever-Present

Stigma is not always loud and bombastic; it is often quiet, innocuous, subtextual, but still just as damaging

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Earlier this year, a distant cousin of mine had their first child, and threw a celebration. I was invited, and traveled to another town, where I encountered and spoke to several new people, friends of said cousin.

One such person was an older individual I shall call K.

Before the function began, we were all gathered outside, mingling in the sunny but cool weather. K was gregarious and outgoing, and when our paths crossed, engaged me in animated conversation. We spoke on a range of topics, some banal, others pressing. I was having a fascinating time.

Until K asked: “What do you do for a living?”

I replied I was an author and freelance writer. At K’s insistence, I shared details of the two books I had written, and showed where to order them.

Then K asked what I wrote about online. Somehow I knew the answer would make K uncomfortable, I had a bad gut feeling, but I replied nevertheless: “The main topic I write on is mental health.”