Mental illness is not a Character defect. There are many reasons why people develop mental illness. Some are genetic or biological. Some are result of childhood trauma or overwhelming stress at school, work or home. Some stem for environmental injustice or violence. Sometimes we simply don’t know. Regardless of the reasons, there are health problems like cancer, arthiritis or diabetes. So why don’t society look at people with mental illness, including substance use disorders differently? The answer is STIGMA !!!