Resources for Stigma & Stereotypes

Videos:

Break The Stigma
A short awareness video encouraging viewers to break the stigma around children’s mental health and support open, compassionate conversations about emotional challenges.

Breaking the Stigma and Shame of Mental Illness | Kitty Westin | TEDxFargo
A TEDxFargo talk where psychologist Kitty Westin uses personal stories and evidence to urge viewers to confront and reduce the stigma and shame associated with mental illness to improve understanding, support, and outcomes.

Changing the Stigma of Mental Health & Addiction | Erika Ball
A TEDx talk in which a counselor and recovery advocate explains how sharing honest stories about mental health and addiction can break stigma and foster understanding.

Hope Starts With Us: Leading the Way to More Help, Less Handcuffs
A NAMI “Hope Starts With Us” podcast episode in which the CEO talks with former Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton about improving collaboration between the mental health and legal systems so people with mental health conditions get supportive help rather than criminalization.

Imagine There Was No Stigma to Mental Illness | Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman
A TEDxCharlottesville talk by psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman that explores how eliminating stigma around mental illness could transform public understanding, treatment, and support for people with mental health conditions.

Shaming the Sick: Substance Use and Stigma | Dr Carolyn Greer
A TEDx talk by Dr. Carolyn Greer that challenges stigma around substance use and mental illness by reframing addiction and recovery in compassionate, medical terms.

The Dirtiest Four Letter Word – That Can Save Your Life! – Sam Anthony Lucania – TEDxAshburnSalon
A TEDx talk titled “The Dirtiest Four Letter Word – That Can Save Your Life!” in which Sam Anthony Lucania explores how confronting and reframing our relationship with a stigmatized idea can lead to personal resilience and well-being.

The Gestalt Project: Stop the Stigma (Mental Health Video KCM)
A reflective video exploring the contrast between appearance and reality, examining how stigma and social labeling shape the lived experience of people with mental illness while affirming the message that people are always people first.

Articles & Other Resources:

Fighting Internalized Stigma and Changing My Attitude
A personal NAMI Blog essay about recognizing and overcoming internalized stigma around mental illness by shifting language, sharing lived experience, and normalizing honest conversations to change attitudes and reduce shame.

How You Can Stop Mental Illness Stigma
A NAMI advocacy guide outlining practical steps individuals can take to reduce mental-illness stigma—such as starting open conversations, using respectful language, challenging misconceptions, and supporting those affected—to foster understanding and inclusion.

Mental Illness is an Asset
Mike Veny reframes mental illness as an asset and shares how that shift in perspective can unlock resilience, purpose, and personal success.

People Need Help, Not Handcuffs: Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System
A NAMI advocacy article highlighting how people with mental illness are disproportionately ensnared by the criminal justice system and calling for diversion to community-based care and crisis supports instead of arrest and incarceration.