Stigma Skill Tools
Three tools to read the stigma cycle, plan disclosure, and assess your alone time.
The stigma cycle runs in a predictable direction: judgment → concealment → loneliness → withdrawal → internalized stigma. Slide each scale to reflect your recent experience.
What is elevated
- ·No significant pressure detected
Suggested moves
The cycle — for reference
Judgment — real or anticipated — activates a protective response.
You hide how you feel to avoid being judged further. Short-term protection, long-term cost.
Concealment creates distance. Distance creates loneliness. The gap widens.
Loneliness makes social contact feel riskier. You pull back further.
The external judgment has moved inside. It now sounds like your own voice.
Source: Prizeman, Weinstein & McCabe (2024). Brain and Behavior.
Skill-building only. Not crisis intervention. If in crisis call or text 988.