These simple badges are helping social media users talk about mental illness
People living with mental illness and other invisible conditions are fighting stigma head-on, thanks to a new social media campaign.
A collection of simple online badges, created by 28-year-old mental health advocate Kat Selwyn Layton from North Carolina, features declarative statements about mental health on colorful backgrounds. Called #EndTheStigma, the campaign lets users post the badges to their accounts, talk about living with invisible illnesses, conditions or disorders, and show others that they aren't alone.
SEE ALSO:7 initial ways you can be a better mental health ally and advocateThe result is an online mental health movement helping to tackle shame and break the silence around often misunderstood experiences.
Credit: End The Stigma/FacebookLayton started small, posting several badges on her personal Facebook page on Dec. 30.
Just one week later, it's now morphed into a viral campaign that has reached social media users around the world. She's even started creating badges on request, hoping to represent a spectrum of experiences for anyone who wants to advocate for their conditions.
Credit: End The Stigma/FacebookTo accommodate the growing movement, Layton created a dedicated End the Stigma Facebook page for the effort. She also brought on volunteer admins to help monitor the week-old page -- which already has more than 26,000 likes -- for potentially triggering comments and for users who need referrals to professional resources.
"Just because an illness is often invisible, it doesn't mean your battle should go unrecognized."
Approximately 1 in 5 American adults -- or almost 19% of the U.S. population -- experiences mental illness in a given year.
But the stigma around living with these conditions often keeps people silent, and aids in negative opinions of those living with mental illness.
"Just because an illness is often invisible, it doesn't mean your battle should go unrecognized," Layton wrote on the Facebook page.
Credit: End The Stigma/FacebookDiagnosed with bipolar disorder almost 10 years ago, Layton told The Huffington Postshe was inspired to start the campaign after the Dec. 27 death of Carrie Fisher. The Star Wars actress was a fierce advocate for mental health communities, and bravely vocalized her own experiences with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.
Credit: End The stigma/FacebookThrough the campaign, Layton encourages people to use the badges as their profile pictures, or make a collage of several badges if they live with multiple illnesses or conditions.
Using the hashtag #EndTheStigma, social media users are doing just that -- sharing the badges across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help end the silence around mental health and invisible conditions.
"I want the badges to start a conversation, make everyone feel a part of something and help them brave the path to ending stigma," she told The Huffington Post.
Credit: End The Stigma/FacebookBut Layton and the admins of the End the Stigma page know the ability to share these badges isn't universal. Some people living with mental illness, after all, do not have the freedom to be so open about their experiences.
"Be proud of your fight. Be proud of your survival."
"We have noticed that some people aren't able to share the badges they relate to, as the stigma is still too much for them and sharing may have a negative effect on their lives," one admin, Gemma, recently wrote on the page.
"We just wanted to say that we are still here for you and you are still part of this, even if you can't be open with the rest of the world," she said.
Credit: End The stigma/FacebookThe ongoing campaign's badges may be simple, but they're inspiring those living with mental illness and invisible conditions to share their stories and connect with the broader community.
"Be proud of your accomplishments," Layton wrote. "Be proud of your fight. Be proud of your survival."
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