For #12, I want to talk about cultural ableism with the example of stigma around mental health in Japan. For the gender portfolio assignment, I finally created a TikTok account and started watching videos occasionally. Recently, I found a video that was uploaded by one of the creators I am following. The video's link is attached to this post so you can watch it. It consists of a few interviews, and the interviewer asked the Japanese whether they can share their worries with their friends or family. All the people who answered the question said they cannot share it with the people around them because their friends wouldn't take it seriously, or because they would cause their family and friends in trouble, or because they think they should keep it to themselves and it is okay if they can solve the problem by themselves.
I think they are not the only ones who think that way, and these reasons are part of the reason counseling is not as prevalent in Japan compared to the U.S. The fact that they think they should keep it to themselves, regardless of reasoning, is tied to the Japanese culture of collectivism. Japan cares so much about how people are doing as a collective and focuses on the group's well-being more than individual well-being. I think this collectivism makes Japanese people think that they should deal with their mental health issues by themselves. This way of thinking contributes to social norms of making mental health issues taboo to talk about. This leads to the stigma around mental health and discrimination towards those who suffer from mental health issues. Some people think having a mental health issue is a shame to the family, or going to counseling means the person has a severe mental illness. These two are common stigmas around mental health in Japan.
I think mental health stigmas in Japan can be considered as cultural ableism, which is a form of discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities that is embedded in society. Japan's stigma around mental health is deeply tied to Japan's culture and social norms. It is not easy separating mental health issues from culture in Japan, but as a person who has been to counseling for more than six years, I hope more people in Japan get access to counseling without worrying about how people around them will perceive them.