I want

Dealing with Stigma

Revital Ordan, Psychiatric nurse, Director of the Ambulatory Array, Mental Health Division, Ministry of Health
25 January 2026

Dealing with stigma in mental health is a skill that can be learned and developed. Any person can choose how to respond and deal with stigma, whether it is self- or public-related, and develop mental resilience as part of the recovery process that preserves self-worth.

Effectively dealing with self-stigma includes identifying negative automatic thoughts, stopping and examining them through critical thinking and asking questions, and hence creating a thought that gives room for a broad and balanced interpretation. In addition, it is worth focusing on personal strengths and building a healthy identity beyond the illness by setting practical goals and objectives and implementing them.

To deal with public stigma, it is recommended to prepare simple answers in advance to expected questions from the environment, set clear boundaries regarding sharing information, and treat the mental state for what it is, like any other medical condition. It is important to build a strong support network, both with people who understand your struggle and with people who represent different areas of interest in your life.

Every small step forward is an achievement. Dealing with stigma requires time and patience, and yet it is important on the path to recovery and building a full and meaningful life. In cases of difficulty in dealing with stigma and its consequences, it is recommended to seek professional help within the framework of mental health treatment and rehabilitation.

Self-stigma and public stigma in mental health are complex challenges that can lead to negative feelings and difficulties with daily functioning, social integration, and accessing treatment for people living with a mental health condition. At the same time, it is important to remember that each of us has the power to choose how to respond to stigma—whether it comes from others or develops within ourselves. Coping with stigma is a skill that can be learned and strengthened, just like any other skill. In this article, we present practical tools that can help build resilience, maintain self-worth, and confidently handle negative reactions from the surrounding environment.

Learn more about stigma and self-stigma

Dealing with self-stigma

Negative automatic thoughts are thought distortions or biases that cause us to misinterpret reality, leading to negative emotions and unwanted behavior. These biases can include overgeneralization, all-or-nothing thinking, jumping to conclusions, downplaying neutral experiences and amplifying negative experiences, predicting the future, and more.

One of the most effective ways to deal with self-stigma is to identify and challenge these thoughts. The process can be broken down into three simple steps:

  1. Stop and identify: When you feel bad or upset, it is worth stopping for a moment and asking what thoughts are going through my mind right now? It is important to identify the common negative thoughts, such as: "It's my fault", "I'm a burden on my family", "Everyone thinks I'm crazy", "I'm defective", "I'm weak".
  2. Asking challenging questions: Once you have identified the thought, it is worth examining it critically:
  • Is this a fact or my opinion and interpretation?
  • Does this thought help me or hurt me?
  • Do I have evidence that this thought is true?
  1. Creating a balanced thought: It is worth trying to create an alternative thought, more balanced and based on facts, for example:
  • Original thought: "My girlfriend hasn't been talking to me lately, she's scared of me because of my situation."
  • Balanced thought: "She might be going through a busy time, or she doesn't know how to approach me, or even it might not be about me at all."

Most people are much harder on themselves than they are on others. If you find yourself overwhelmed by critical thoughts, try asking yourself: "What would I say to a good friend of mine if they were in this situation?" The answer will give you a new perspective with a little more self-compassion on the situation.

When self-stigma develops, it can be easy to forget about our positive qualities. To counterbalance this, you can try these steps:

  • It is worth writing a list of your personal and professional achievements.
  • You can also create a list of your skills and talents.
  • Talk to the people close to you and try to understand from them what qualities or skills they value in you.
  • Remember that your mental state is only part of your identity, not all of it.

The most important tool for coping with stigma in mental health is recovery—finding your personal identity beyond the illness. In many cases, receiving a diagnosis and coping with a mental health condition requires the person to find a new path and develop new definitions of their self-identity (family, social, romantic, professional, and more), as well as their values, goals, and areas of interest. While recovery refers to an internal perceptual, emotional, and cognitive process, it also has practical aspects. The more goals and milestones you set and anchor in real life, the more you can move forward in the recovery process—for example, scheduling a job interview, going on a date, signing up for a class, or meeting a friend at a café.

Dealing with public stigma

If you know that there will be a meeting soon where questions or comments about your mental state may be raised, it is a good idea to prepare simple and clear answers in advance. For example:

  • To the question "What happened to you?" You can answer: "I have a medical condition that requires coping and treatment."
  • To the question "When is your condition expected to improve?" You can answer: "I am in a treatment process, which assists and helps me cope better with my health condition."

It is a good idea to practice these answers in advance, it will help you feel more confident in real time.

You do not have to share with everyone who offers help or asks personal questions. It is a good idea to decide in advance:

  • Who do you want to share detailed information with.
  • Who do you prefer to share only basic information with.
  • Who doesn't need any information about your situation at all.

You have full right to choose what and with whom to share.

When you choose to talk about your health condition, it is worth treating it as it is – like any other medical condition. In places where you choose not to elaborate or talk about your mental coping, you can say: "I am coping with a health condition that requires medical treatment and monitoring."

This approach helps maintain privacy, without having to elaborate about your coping, in cases where you do not wish to elaborate.

One of the most powerful tools against stigma is to surround yourself with people who understand what you are going through, for example, joining support groups (face-to-face or online) and looking for organizations and communities that work in the field of mental health, such as consumer associations that promote rights and mutual aid between those coping and their families. On the other hand, try to cultivate connections and relationships with people whose impact on your world is not necessarily from the perspective of coping, for example, make sure to cultivate connections with friends and family who understand and support you, or join classes, workshops, and activities around shared hobbies that are not related to coping itself.

Sometimes the emotional burden of dealing with stigma can be too great. It is important to remember not to hesitate to seek professional help in these situations:

  • Feelings of shame or anger interfere with daily functioning.
  • Avoiding social activities or connections.
  • Intense negative thoughts about yourself.
  • Overwhelming feelings of loneliness.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength and resilience.

Other ways to strengthen mental resilience

  • Healthy lifestyle habits
  • Strong support network
  • Personal development and broadening of horizons
  • Self-care management
  • Healthy lifestyle habits: It is worth maintaining a regular sleep routine, engaging in physical activity that suits you, eating a balanced diet, and dedicating time to activities that relax you.
  • Strong support network: It is important to maintain contact with close, loving, and supportive people, to know how to ask for help when there is difficulty, and to provide support to others when possible.
  • Personal development and broadening horizons: It is important to strengthen the identity and the healthy parts that lie beyond the illness by setting goals and strategies for recovery in a variety of areas, such as finding new hobbies and interests, studying a subject or profession that fascinates you, meeting with friends, and participating in diverse activities (trips, classes, workshops, etc.).
  • Self-care management: It is worth taking an active part in the treatment in collaboration with those caring for you, understanding your coping and how it affects your life, knowing your rights, and knowing ways to get help. It is important to be partners in building and implementing the treatment plan so that the management of the disease will be at its best and will enable the advancement and achievement of your goals and aspirations in a variety of areas of life.

You can overcome the stigma

Dealing with stigma is a process that takes time, patience, and practice. Every small step forward is an achievement, and every moment you choose not to let stigma take over your thoughts, your self-worth, and your behavior following exposure is a victory. It is important to know that this does not always work. You will sometimes hear difficult things that may hurt, offend, anger, frustrate, and even make you want to close yourself off. It is okay to acknowledge these feelings, to seek help and support when it is difficult, and, on the other hand, to learn how not to let these situations define you and your value and the way you conduct yourself.

You have the right to live a full and meaningful life, to dream and fulfill dreams, and to love and be loved. Stigma may try to convince you otherwise, but it is important to remember that each and every one of us deserves respect, love, understanding, and support.

If you feel that this journey is too difficult to go through alone, do not hesitate to seek professional help. Mental health treatment and rehabilitation professionals are appropriately trained to help you deal with public or self-stigma and their consequences. They can help and provide additional tools, skills, and personal support that is tailored to your situation.

You might be interested in: