BRIMLEY — Bay Mills Behavioral Health will host the next “Stop the Stigma” event on August 25.
This event aims to help the community deal with the stigma surrounding various mental health issues. The goal is not only to help people facing these issues, but also to help the community create safe environments.
The event will include a presentation on how stigma is created and the negative effects it can have on people. The objective of this part of the event is to show how stigma is created when a community treats or speaks negatively to a person due to a personal factor.
Trista LeBlanc, peer recovery coach at Bay Mills Indian Community Behavioral Health, wants the event to be a way to address the many things that can cause stigma in the community. For example, there is stigma around ex-offenders, drug addicts, people with depression and other mental health issues, and other issues that are not always socially acceptable.
“Your past really follows you around for a while and creates a lot of shame and guilt inside of you,” LeBlanc said. “It’s hard for people to move on and get over it.”
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The event kicks off at 1 pm in the Horizons Conference Center with a presentation by Melissa Demarse on the effect of stigma on a person. Afterward, a group of people from the community will discuss their shared experiences of stigma. This panel of peers will discuss many forms of stigma they have faced and how it negatively impacted them.
“We have a couple of presenters who have been in prison and are trying to turn their lives around and a couple of people who are recovering from drug use,” LeBlanc said. “They’re going to raise awareness about how hurtful words, actions, gestures and stuff are.”
After the panel, participants will be guided through a mindfulness activity and the event will move to a nearby baseball field.
The rest of the event, which will last until 7 pm, will include food, snacks and other free items. Participants will be able to participate in a drawing and win prizes in the games.
Children will be able to enjoy a bouncy house and many other outdoor family games.
Contact Brendan Wiesner: [email protected]
