Remove stigma of mental illness by treating it as an illness, Walsh and Ladha say

The importance of talking about mental health and removing the stigma by treating it as an illness, was emphasized during a passionate discussion on CBC Newfoundland and Labrador's CrossTalk this week.

Actor Mary Walsh, spokesperson for Bell's Let's Talk Campaign, and well-known St. John's psychiatrist Nizar Lahda joined host Ramona Dearing to take calls on the fifth annual Let's Talk Day.

"We have to light a fire under the government, under our health care providers, under each other and we have to turn on the lights and dissipate the darkness and the stigma of mental illness. It's time and I can feel it's changing, can't you?' Walsh said.

A real illness

Ladha added that the problem with not recognizing mental illness as an illness, and stigmatizing it is that it "allows us as service providers, … allows the government, … allows the agencies to ignore, to discriminate and to reduce the services that should be provided."

"We have to accept that mental illness is an illness and it needs services and treatment like any other disorder," he said.

One of the most shocking statistics is over half of children with mental illness problems in this country will never receive any treatment," Walsh said.

"The number is actually only one in six children," Ladha added.

"Can you believe that? If it was one one in six children who had cancer, people would be outside with signs," Walsh said.

You can hear Crosstalk in its entirety by clicking on the audio link.