Negative Reaction from Others on your Mental Illness Despite the recent positive representation of mental health in the news and campaigns such as Every Mind Matters , there is still much stigma associated with mental illness. If you have a mental health challenge, the last thing you need to cope with is negative reactions from other people. This kind of response often goes beyond the traditional ‘pull yourself together’ comment by a family member or friend or the all too common reaction that your mental health issue is somehow your fault. Is It Your Fault People React This Way? The answer to this is simple, and it’s: No . You are not responsible for the reaction someone has to your mental illness . In most circumstances, unfortunately, it’s not the fault of the person who has an adverse reaction either. There can be a range of different reasons why someone has difficulty understanding or coping with mental health challenges. It might just be a lack of understanding, or they have...