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Incontinence: living with a stigmatised health condition

02 July 2024
Volume 29 · Issue 7

Abstract

This article shares the personal account of the author who is living with double incontinence, and the impact this condition can have on the individual and their carers.

An individual telling friends they had spent a few nights in hospital because of a broken leg is unlikely to turn many heads, while announcing they had done the same because of a bout of depression may elicit a different response. This is because some health conditions carry a particular shame and stigma, while others do not. Studies across the world regularly identify various examples, and these range from issues such as mental health problems and HIV infections to alcohol/drug addiction and obesity.

But what is meant by the term stigma? Dictionary definitions refer to any mark or behaviour that is disapproved of by society. With another widely quoted definition coming from a book on stigma by Goffman (1963) in which he discusses the concept of ‘spoiled identity’.

More recent interpretations have divided stigma into two distinctive forms, namely enacted stigma and felt stigma. The former is a demonstratable action regarding the stigmatised issue, and this can range from a comment being made through to a specific act of discrimination. The latter is more subjective and refers to the way individuals think people will react when learning about a stigmatised issue.

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