The Individual Effects of Discrimination

Even in the 21st century, the world is still not able to rid of the social discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, caste, etc. It remains to be on of the fundamental problems in our society. We have all seen and read instances of people being discriminated. We have all read about how it happens and what should be done to banish it forever but have we every thought about how it may affect an individual or what the individuals might be facing?

People who have to face discrimination suffer from various social, physical and mental health issues. It has negative consequences on their live and well-being. It has been already acknowledged that discrimination can lead to mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, etc. Research has suggested that discrimination at professional setting can be more harmful than at a social level. Discrimination has effects like fear, lack of communication, isolation on the victim. Extreme discrimination can even lead to suicidal tendencies across the victims. The stress level can take toll over the physical health and cause hypertension, heart problems, chronic illness etc. These negative experiences can get more and more severe if the victims face discrimination repeatedly and can lead to poorer physical health and depressive symptoms. Some experiences can even be traumatic enough to make the victim feel helpless, lonely and higher anxiety. In a social sense, discrimination affects the opportunities that may be presented to the victims. It can also affect their sense of social being and they may feel excluded from the society. Constant discrimination can lead to the victims internalizing the prejudice that they may have and can increase their stress, fear, low self-esteem and various physical health issues. 

Along with the victims, the people who are close to them too get affected by the discrimination. One person’s discrimination experience can affect another person’s mental and physical health. Research has found that a witness to any discriminatory interaction does suffer from emotional drain and exhaustion. Such exhaustion can affect the relationships and interactions leading to negative outcomes of the both. The victims tend to live in the constant fear of being discriminated again and again. They start fearing the society, considering themselves as an exclusion of the society. They lose their morale to function as an independent individual. The victims, sometimes, do not even seek out health advisors with the fear of being discriminated there too. The victims may take to any form of intoxication and develop a wall against their fears. 

It has become important to make sure the victims of discrimination do not side-line themselves from the society. We can come forward and help them deal with it, to gain confidence and morale and begin a new day with new hope.