HOW TO SURVIVE AROUND PEOPLE WHO TAKES PLEASURE IN STIGMATIZING OTHERS

Stigmatization is something that we deal with every now and then. We are already in a society that has class. If you don't belong to one class it may be the reason for stigmatization and a lot have suffered it in the hands of people. This is something that I know will never stop as long as this earth remains. But I know that an individual can stop it when don't like the way people see us or the way people treat us.

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When I came to know about stigmatization very well is when hiv/AIDS was rampad. I started seeing what it does to people and how a lot died not because of the disease they carry but because of the stigma that comes with it.

I have once been there and I know what it means to live there. I was once stigmatized for been a school drop out and I regretted ever been there. It is not a good experience friends. You see people look at you and say what they feel about you. There are a lot of people that decided to take their lives because of stigmatization. This is very bad. But like I said, you can't stop people from seeing you the way they do but you can change your identity. You can do a few things that I know that can help you overcome stigmatization in the society.

FEW THINGS THAT ONE CAN DO IF YOU ARE STIGMATIZED FOR ANY REASON

1. Accept what you can't change and ignore what people think or say about you. Sometimes people are stigmatized for what can't be changed. For example, someone with an ailment. Or someone who has a disorder in the body. These situations are the ones you can't change. So, all you need to do is to look away from people and live as though no one is talking about you. Of course you can forget about what people say and focus on what you say alone. Friends, what you say is what matters.

2. Secondly, we can also change what we can. For some people they can change their situation. These set of people may be passing through a situation that can change. So, all they need do is change your status quo. Make a different and people will not see any negative thing in your life to talk about. Taking a example from what happened to me before. I was stigmatized because I was a school dropout and each day of my life I kept crying because it wasn't my fault, but circumstances. But it got to a level that I decided to do something. I didn't ask people to stop looking at me that way or to stop talking about me behind. Instead I went on to change my story. No more a school dropout today, but a graduate.

3. The third thing that I believe can help is for one to live as though you can't see or hear people around you. By the time you concentrate only yourself you won't even be aware that people exit. What they say will no matter to you.

We can't stop stigmatization in the society where we have lots of people who have their different ways of thinking and understanding. But we can change things around us. Become better people, then people will not see anything negative to talk about. At this time those who once asked you - Who are you, will now ask you how are you.

Remain bless