self-stigma is not a person's fault; nor is it a part of the person's illness!
If the public did not hold negative and stigmatizing attitudes in the first place, these would never have become internalized, causing people the painful and disabling experience of self-stigma.

The stigma of mental illness is first and foremost a social justice issue!

In reviewing his own moral career, the stigmatized individual may single out and retrospectively elaborate experiences which serve for him to account for his coming to the beliefs and practices that he now has regarding his own kind and normals.

Public stigma
Stereotype Negative belief about a group (e.g., dangerousness, incompetence, character weakness)

Prejudice Agreement with belief and/or negative emotional reaction (e.g., anger, fear)

Discrimination Behavior response to prejudice (e.g., avoidance, withhold employment and housing opportunities, withhold help)

Self-stigma
Stereotype Negative belief about the self (e.g., character weakness, incompetence)

Prejudice Agreement with belief, negative emotional reaction (e.g., low self-esteem, low self-efficacy)

Discrimination Behavior response to prejudice (e.g., fails to pursue work and housing opportunities)

Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness. World Psychiatry. Feb 2002; 1(1): 16–20.
PMCID: PMC1489832

Results of two independent factor analyses of the survey responses of more than 2000 English and American citizens parallel these findings (19,33):
- fear and exclusion: persons with severe mental illness should be feared and, therefore, be kept out of most communities;
- authoritarianism: persons with severe mental illness are irresponsible, so life decisions should be made by others;
- benevolence: persons with severe mental illness are childlike and need to be cared for."

World Psychiatry. 2002 Feb; 1(1): 16–20.
PMCID: PMC1489832
Understanding the impact of stigma on people with mental illness
PATRICK W CORRIGAN and AMY C WATSON

I can understand why some people might look at me and say, 'What's she got to be depressed about?' I get that a lot in Britain, where mental health issues seem to be a big taboo.