Persons with psychosocial disabilities frequently face stigma, discrimination and rights violations, including within and from the medical community, which reflects broader societal stigma. One doctor relates his personal experience here and how he uses it today to challenge stigma.
When Dr Ahmed Hankir first experienced extreme psychological distress as a medical student in the United Kingdom in 2006, he delayed seeking help due to the shame and stigma of having a mental health condition.
Exacerbating his distress was the added stigma of being a man of colour and a Muslim, which, with his mental health condition, made up what he calls a “triple whammy” of stigmas that he “internalized”. It led to him feeling “dehumanised”.
The stress and strains of working low-paid jobs to support himself as a student, and an outbreak of war in Lebanon, the country of his roots and where his parents were living, made matters worse. Meanwhile, he was living in a dilapidated house in one of the most dangerous areas of Manchester.
The intersectionality of these stressors – which added a “layer upon layer” – are often overlooked at the level of the individual, he said. Racism might be passed over. “It might be there is some gaslighting... so, you know, you are not a victim of racism.”
Hankir, who was born in Belfast when his parents fled the 1982 war in Lebanon, but later returned to Lebanon as a teenager, also said he had an identity crisis. “We want to be accepted, but I wasn't treated as British in the UK and I wasn't treated as Lebanese in Lebanon.”
Stigma “rampant” in the medical profession
Yet it was in his own profession that he felt the stigma of mental health most deeply, which led to the delay in seeking help. He was “ridiculed” by fellow medical students and ostracised by his closest companions. When he sought help from the person in charge of student support, a person who had the power to have him removed from his course, he was “psychologically tortured”. He was forced to temporarily interrupt his studies.
“Stigma is rampant in the medical profession. Unless we address it, it will continue to destroy and devastate the lives of many. We’re just scratching the surface now - I don’t know an expert in stigma. There is a lot of ignorance on how to deal with mental health,” he said.
Not only is there ignorance, but there is also arrogance from health providers, some of whom look down on people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities, he said.
“It takes strength to accept that you might be a source of stigma. What we need is humility. But I’ve met inspirational, humble doctors who have contributed to my recovery and continue to contribute to my resilience.”
“My lived experience is my superpower”
Today, Hankir is a psychiatrist and he draws from his past: “My lived experience is my superpower. It’s a strength, not a weakness. It makes me more insightful, empathetic and driven.
“When I'm working in frontline psychiatry and I'm providing care for a person in a mental health crisis at 2am, I often draw on my personal expertise more than my professional expertise especially when attempting to develop a rapport and 'therapeutic alliance' with the person receiving care from me.”
He believes that many of his peers have also experienced psychological distress, but have chosen to remain silent about it. “I’m honest and open about my experience of living with a mental health condition. More people are talking about it. We normalize living with mental health conditions.”
Ahmed has won multiple awards for his “Wounded Healer” presentation, including from WHO in 2022. Photo credit: WHO/ Michelle Funk
Delivering the “Wounded Healer” presentation around the world
Hankir is now renowned for his “Wounded Healer” presentation, which aims to debunk myths and humanize people living with mental health conditions through blending performing arts and storytelling with psychiatry.
The Wounded Healer also traces Hankir’s recovery journey. “Speaking out on stigma helps to reduce it,” he explained. More than 100,000 people in 20 countries have heard him speak. In recognition of his work, Hankir received the 2022 World Health Organization Director-General Award for Global Health, among other awards.
He welcomes WHO’s Quality Rights Initiative, which takes an approach to mental health grounded on a human rights framework that empowers, dignifies and humanizes people with mental health conditions.
“Our human rights are being violated, regardless of time and place – high income country, low income country. Too many people feel like they have been brutalized,” he said. “When care is available, there are also concerns about the quality of care.”
He continues to face negativity from some psychiatrists, some of whom are “suspicious” of his success. “They accuse me of fabricating having a severe mental health condition. It is as if people living with severe mental health conditions can’t recover or excel, and can only ever think of survival. I was miserable for many years. But now I am not just surviving, I’m thriving,” he laughed.
A version of this story first appeared in the WHO Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities.