Special to the Register by Father Kenneth Borowiak
Lincoln (SNR) – Dr. Aaron Stratman presented a talk at St. Michael Parish in Lincoln Jan. 26, looking at misconceptions people have regarding mental health.
A “stigma,” he explained, is “a negative stereotype or image that labels people whom others may not understand.”
The talk was the second in a series of four examining different dimensions of mental health. The talks are sponsored by St. Michael Parish, with grant funding from Walmart.
Stratman, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Midwest Neurofeedback, began his talk with the Scriptural quotations, “love your neighbor as yourself” Mark 12:31 and “love one another as you would want to be loved.” Matthew 22:39.
He told listeners that a stigma is understood as a seeming character flaw that devalues a person and makes him or her seemingly less than complete.
“Sometimes people can be characterized by something they cannot control or by the worst mistake they ever made,” he added
Dr. Stratman said it is unfortunate that mental illness is still not understood to the degree and depth that it should be. He said labels and derogatory terms reinforce misconceptions and stigmas that people struggling with mental issues have to deal with. He told his audience to ask themselves why they and others use such negative terms – such offensive terms often arise from ignorance, fear and misunderstanding.
He acknowledged that a good number of the population struggles with mental issues to one degree or another, and labeling people struggling with mental issues or stigmatizing them can keep those people from seeking the help they need.
He also noted that people still hesitate in getting professional help for mental issues because families or employers or neighbors might treat them differently if they know that they have received professional help for mental issues.
“It is important that we help people reconnect to their lives and to allow them to do the things they like and want to do,” he said.
Dr. Stratman said it is inevitable that every human being at one time or another in their lives struggles with emotional and mental issues. He said statistics indicate that the large majority of Americans who seek professional help for mental health can get better and that they should not be ashamed of seeking professional help for mental issues.
He added that Jesus encouraged His followers, when they struggle, to take up their cross and follow Him. Dr. Stratman asked participants to think about how they would respond when such suffering appears in their lives, or the lives of their loved ones. No person should have to walk the journey of mental health or illness alone, he said.
The next talk in the “Healing the Mind” series on mental health at St. Michael Parish, 9101 S. 78th St., will be Feb. 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Dr. Natalie Brei will address “Managing Anxiety at Any Age.”
