From the Side of the “Weak Opposite”: The Double Stigma on Mental Suffering

Abstract

The review discusses the monographic study The Stigma on Mental Disorders in Bulgaria [Стигмата върху психическите разстройства в България] by Veronika Dimitrova. The book examines how mental disorders are stigmatised in Bulgarian society and explores what it means to be perceived as ‘mentally ill’ or to ‘bear mental illness’ within this context. Dimitrova emphasizes the social construction of stigma and highlights the double burden faced by individuals with mental disorders – stemming both from the condition itself and from the societal labelling and marginalisation it entails. The sociological analysis employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate public attitudes toward mental disorders and those affected by them. It also sheds light on the complex relationships these individuals develop with their condition and with their identities as ‘ill’, ‘disabled’, or ‘patients’. While the author briefly outlines the legacy of the Bulgarian socialist regime in relation to psychiatric care, she challenges this legacy by giving voice precisely to those who have usually remained unheard until now.