The only cases that provoke a debate about mental health are when an individual does something criminal or difficult to understand. The media is calling on experts to investigate the catastrophe and explain why they did it. Mental illness is a worldwide problem and is often considered a “hidden epidemic” as it extends into institutions such as prison, schools, the family and the media. Most mentally ill people are afraid of seeking treatment, primarily because of the stigma, prejudice, and discrimination associated with the label. The label that comes with being mentally ill often leads to depression. Mental illness is widely misunderstood in the United States and can be treated; The following paragraphs reveal the treatment, as well as the causes and effects of stigma on society, poverty, insurance, the education system and the media. There are universal definitions in society of what it means to be mentally healthy. Mental illness is defined as “all mental disorders characterized by prolonged patterns of abnormal thought, emotion, or behavior accompanied by significant distress and/or impairment in daily functioning.” The most diagnosed illnesses are bipolarism, impulse control and anxiety. The ridicule and embarrassment associated with the label prevents people from seeking the treatment they need to overcome the problem. Today, people with mental illnesses are twice as likely as they were in the 1950s to believe that people with mental illnesses are violent. (Dingfelder 2009). In fact, mentally ill people are almost three times more likely to be victims of violence than people in normal society. The "hidden epidemic" if not treated can lead to numerous problems, influencing educational activity... at the center of the paper... the essential factor for negatively representing the stigmas of mental illness is the media. The media is linked to all the previous paragraphs as it influences stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice, school, society, work and cultural beliefs. Images depicted in video games, in the news, and on TV spread isolation, discrimination, and fears against the mentally ill in society. These negative labels can prevent people from finding treatment and lead them to think there is no path to recovery. However, today more and more public education strategies are being implemented in the media. “Real Men, Real Depression” is a public campaign and education strategy that includes public service announcements, radio and TV. Effective anti-stigma awareness not only erases negative labels of the mentally ill, but also shows that mental illness is misunderstood and that mentally ill people have their place in society.