break the stigma

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a contemporary phrase and social movement rallying cry calling for the dismantling of the shame, discrimination, and social ostracism historically attached to mental illness and help-seeking behaviour; stigma around mental health has caused generations of people to conceal symptoms, avoid treatment, and live in isolation, and the phrase break the stigma names both the problem and the aspiration of changing the cultural norms that produce it; the phrase is particularly associated with public disclosure campaigns in which celebrities, athletes, and public figures speak openly about their mental health struggles to signal that these are common human experiences rather than signs of weakness or moral failing; the movement has had measurable effects on help-seeking behaviour, though structural stigma in healthcare, employment, and the legal system persists