Exploring Experiences of Stigma and Discrimination

 The Interview
During the interview, my respondent stated that he views stigma as an unjustified presumption that people with mental conditions are incapable of doing anything on their own. He believes that stigma labels people as second class citizens. One reported situation where he was affected by stigmatization occurred during high-school. In his 2nd year of high-school, my respondent wanted to participate in running competition in order to qualify for the local championship. At first, the race organizers did not even want to consider his application as they demanded full physical health. However, after a long discussion and an intervention from a school nurse, he was accepted. Even though he finished third which secured his place the championship, the school never officially registered him as its representative. Following the written complaint, he was informed that the school was obliged to vouch for the proper behavior of its students during the race. Due to his diagnosis, the school’s officials felt they could not guarantee for his behavior. My respondent