On March 9, 2023, Middlesex County hosted its annual Stigma Education Forum to reinforce the importance of eliminating stigma, and invigorate individual and collaborative efforts and share resources to achieve this goal.

True to the theme of this event and the mission, Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios stressed, “It’s not ‘me’. It’s ‘we,’” in his welcome remarks. Further rallying attendees to join or continue with this calling, Danielle Corbin, MS, LPC, NCC, ACS, Chair of the Middlesex County Campaign to End Stigma Committee, stated, “We must be compassionate and aware of how our behaviors and actions impact others. We can make a difference.”

“Half the battle is not to feel invisible,” said Celina Levy, Executive Director, Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. “Stigma is devastating and dangerous,” she stated and illustrated that stigma associated with substance use often leads to criminalization and other punitive approaches, and incarceration is traumatic and increases risk of relapse. These experiences frequently result in feelings of self-shame and worthlessness and often lead to overdoses. “We must also combat the stigma associated with medication-assisted treatment for addiction,” Levy said.

Shauna Moses, Vice President, Public Affairs and Member Services, New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA), and Board Member, Attitudes In Reverse^® (AIR^®), who also provides administrative and communications support to the Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma, gave a presentation, Personal and Professional Perspectives on Stigma and How to Fight It. “I lost my brother to suicide and did not know until he died that he had bipolar disorder. Clearly, there was stigma in my family. The best way to eliminate and prevent stigma is to educate others, and this education needs to include individuals’ experiences with mental health disorders and especially their successful management of and recovery from them,” Moses said. She shared examples from NJAMHAA, AIR, the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide and the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma.

The final presentation, End the Silence, was given by Mark T. Williams, BSN, RN, BC, President of NAMI New Jersey’s Board of Trustees. He stressed that, similar to individuals with substance use disorder who experience stigma and discrimination, people with mental illness experience declines in their self-esteem and worsening symptoms of their mental health disorders. Williams stated that stigma prevents everyone who is struggling, including healthcare providers, from speaking up and seeking help, and that stigma is evident in the inadequate investment of healthcare resources.

Following the presentations, several other individuals shared their experiences with mental illnesses and success in achieving wellness. They also shared examples of their creative expressions, including poems and the creation and performance of a play, that help them cope and educate others.