Debbie Davis lives near a new residence for people living with mental illness and believes that interaction between residents and community members reduces stigma. (Photo by Matthew Wisla) People living with a mental health condition also endure the social stigma that accompanies their diagnosis. As Brenda Wesley knows, stigma is a silent stalker that threatens to poison virtually every relationship and encounter with family, friends and co-workers. “Who wants to be known as crazy, or as a nut, a lunatic or a loon,” she asked, her voice rising, but tempered with resignation. Wesley’s understanding of mental illness comes as a mother living with a son diagnosed with schizophrenia. She is also a member of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board and the director of education and outreach for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Milwaukee. Having a mental illness often means being labeled with your affliction, in addition to suffering from it. “People say you’re a schizophrenic or you’re depressed instead of saying you’ve been diagnosed with depression or are living with schizophrenia,” Wesley observed. Fighting against stigma is part of Wesley’s daily life. “You have to look at the stigma of mental illness if you ever want to help people living with mental health conditions,” Wesley said. Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing! Brenda Wesley’s son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She also is a member of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board. (Photo by Matthew Wisla) Stigma has always been a problem for those diagnosed with mental illnesses. However, it is becoming a more widespread concern in Milwaukee as the county transforms its service model from delivering mental healthcare in a sprawling, centralized hospital complex to a decentralized system focused on numerous community-based facilities. According to Héctor Colón, director of the Department of Health and Human Services for Milwaukee County, the county plans to be “out of the inpatient business by 2018.” Experts say placing mental healthcare resources in communities increases efficiency, as well as quality of care and quality of life for patients. Already the county has spent more than $15 million decentralizing mental healthcare delivery through increased collaboration between the county and other organizations, including the private healthcare system, the state, small providers, nonprofits and city residents, Colón has said. The stigma against mental illness is strong even though it is more prevalent than most people might expect. “Research shows that people would rather spend a night in jail than admit to having a mental illness,” said Peter Hoeffel, executive director of NAMI Greater Milwaukee. “The number one reason people don’t seek help (for mental illness) is they don’t want to be treated differently. Stigma has that kind of isolating effect.” Yet statistics show that between 20-25 percent of people will experience a serious mental illness in their lifetime, such as depression, conditions associated with drug or alcohol use, or an anxiety-related disorder. And, at any given time, about 15 percent of the population is suffering from a form of mental illness, including serious illnesses such as bipolar disorder, severe depression, schizophrenia and some personality disorders. Central city challenges The poverty and violence that are part of everyday life in many central city neighborhoods can cause or exacerbate certain mental illnesses, resulting in stigma, according to experts such as Sue McKenzie, co-leader of The Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination (WISE) and program director of Rogers InHealth, a unit of Rogers Behavioral Health System focusing on mental health recovery. “When kids — and adults too — come from a place of trauma and violence, it brings with it the increased likelihood of stress-related mental illnesses like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder),” McKenzie said. She said teachers can stigmatize children as angry or habitual misbehavers, not realizing they may be reacting to a traumatic event they experienced or witnessed. “The teacher tries classroom strategies as though the child’s brain can focus normally,” McKenzie said. “Or they push kids away that they don’t understand.” Wesley said it’s all too easy to label central city youths without questioning the root causes of their behavior. “Everyone just shrugs and says, ‘There goes another angry black boy,’” she observed.