Stigmas in general are harmful. A stigma is a usually false negative idea about an individual or group of people.

The three main types of stigmas are mental health stigmas, racial or ethnic stigmas, and physical deformity stigmas. For example, calling someone 'crazy' for seeking therapy or support is a stigma. It's not valid or true and it prevents people from getting help. More common stigmas include characterizing people with serious mental disorders as violent, when in reality those people are ten times more likely to be victims of

crime. Other stigmas include characterizing people with ADHD or depression as lazy, or people with anxiety as cowardly. Stigmas are formed from a lack of education, and harm communities because it sets back efforts to make our voices heard. They can also affect individuals. Some individuals can be affected more than others,

and the words of others have larger impacts on them.