Stigma, Privilege, and other things I've been thinking about

I often think of the Christmas story as one where God, by revealing himself to the world in the form of a Shepherd to walk among us, restores human dignity (by restoring our relationship to God, and ourselves as God's children, in Christ).

It's got me thinking of all the work we as people in a Creator can do, in partnership with our God and in hand with that dignity we've been granted, to extend our awareness of the injustices and the indignities still in the world, so that shifts might occur.

Given my background and what I've experienced in life, dignity for those dealing with mental health disorders is an issue about which I am passionate. When I volunteered with people at an inpatient unit, I began to understand how the small things - being allowed to chose a drink with a meal or wash one's clothes independently - made such a difference in one's own perception of empowerment and agency. When I worked with NAMI, I saw how cultural perceptions of health and wellness could strip away the dignity of the individual suffering in deference to the cultural standard which forbade health care in the first place. This kind of thing hurts the individual, but of course families and whole societies too.

Among the rest of us, mental health disorders are relatively prevalent, and mental health care is necessary for all of us. We have a long way to go in acknowledging mental health parity and living it out. It's something I hope I'll see continue to change for the better in my lifetime.

Food for thought:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/opinion/sunday/shameful-profiling-of-the-mentally-ill.html?adxnnl=1&smid=fb-share&adxnnlx=1386777710-yHUgZ5Ubg6cdIBdf0ZJajg

Another topic that has reentered my consciousness lately is White Privilege. Among my own privileges, I've recently admitted my privilege not to stand out, my privilege to be seen as conforming with socially acceptable norms (whether or not I do!) and my privilege to be perceived as innocent before being judged as guilty. I would encourage all people with White ancestry, all those who are White or look White, to chew on this concept a bit and to revisit it from time, to time, to time. It will open you up to a larger world to enjoy, and it will also help you take a step towards accepting the inherent dignity of our brothers and sisters of all race/ethnicities.

More food for thought:

http://blindspotproject.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html