Mental illness and destigmatization: the case of Sidi Chami psychiatric hospital of Oran, Algeria

Abstract

The definition of mental illness, the description of the experience of the subject affected by this disorder, and the decision of what is necessary for the experience of the carrier of this illness are always established by the "healthy" subject, who himself has certainly not experienced living mental illness. In this regard, it is rare and unlikely to refer to the person having this disorder, even if he is completely stabilized and in remission. The patient suffering from mental disorders defines and expresses his disease, and social sufferings secondary to his malaise, in several forms ranging from words to carrying his voice, to destigmatizing himself. In this article, a qualitative study, based on the interpretation of speech and the observation of behavior, we illustrate some cases of subjects with mental disorders followed up at the Sidi Chami Psychiatric Hospital of Oran in Algeria. These patients, as a result of their resilience, have been able to open a new path toward destigmatization.