Stigma, Shame and Delay In Care

MIND YOUR LIVER. IT NEEDS YOU. ™

Stigma, Shame and Delay In Care

Stigma around mental health and liver disease can delay diagnosis, discourage people from seeking help, and worsen long-term outcomes.

We Don’t Carry Shame. We Heal.

We’re making space for what’s been hard to say.
About our health, our habits, and the weight we carry.
No one’s lifestyle should be shamed. We’re here to learn, heal, and thrive forward.

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More resources are on the way. We’ll keep you posted.

Why stigma still exists

Liver disease is one of the most judged conditions out there.

Unlike heart disease or diabetes, liver problems are often assumed to be your fault. People hear “liver damage” and immediately think of alcohol, poor decisions, or lack of control.

But that story is incomplete—and unfair.

Liver disease can be caused by many things: genetics, stress, trauma, eating disorders, autoimmune conditions, viruses, and medications. But stigma oversimplifies it and puts blame where it doesn’t belong.

Stigma keeps people silent.

Many young adults delay getting help because they don’t want to be judged. They don’t want doctors to assume things. They don’t want friends or family to think they brought this on themselves.

Silence is dangerous

By the time people speak up, liver damage may already be advanced. Stigma doesn’t just hurt feelings—it delays care, and sometimes costs lives.

This page is educational. It’s not a substitute for medical care. If you’re worried about your liver or have symptoms, talk to your provider. You deserve real answers and support.

What it feels like to delay care

You know something’s wrong—but you second-guess it.

Maybe you feel exhausted all the time. Or bloated. Or you’ve had strange pain, nausea, or brain fog. But you put it off, wondering if you’re just being dramatic.

You feel scared of being brushed off—or blamed.

Young people are often dismissed in medical settings. If you’re dealing with stress, drinking, or emotional eating, you might fear being judged instead of helped.

You might even tell yourself it’s nothing.

Shame can convince you to wait. It can make you hide symptoms, skip appointments, or downplay what you’re going through—because facing it feels overwhelming.

But every delay gives liver disease more time to progress.

The earlier you advocate for yourself, the better the chance of catching liver issues early—before they become irreversible.

Breaking the cycle

You don’t have to wait until it’s an emergency.

Getting checked out doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re paying attention. And you have every right to ask for answers—even if you’re afraid of what they might be.

Talk to someone who listens.

If one provider brushes you off, find another. Look for doctors who understand trauma-informed care. Bring someone with you. Write your symptoms down. Ask for liver tests.

Your story deserves context, not judgment.

Whether your liver is under stress from drinking, restriction, trauma, or burnout—you are not your habits. You’re a whole human, and your care should reflect that.

Shame ends when truth starts.

Your liver is fighting for you. You’re allowed to fight for it too.

You are not alone

Stigma feeds off isolation—but you’re not the only one.

So many people are dealing with liver symptoms in silence. Young, successful, educated, overwhelmed—there’s no one “type” of person who gets liver disease.

You’re allowed to feel scared. But you’re also allowed to be seen.

You deserve answers. You deserve care. You deserve to be taken seriously.

There’s nothing shameful about taking your health seriously.

You wouldn’t blame someone else for seeking help. So don’t deny yourself the same compassion.

You’re not weak. You’re awake.

And that’s exactly what changes everything. Mind Your Liver. It Needs You.™

Volk, M. L., & Fisher, N. (2019).
Stigma and liver disease: The clinical consequences of misperceptions. Liver International, 39(1), 1–3.
https://doi.org/10.1111/liv.14004
Henderson, S. W., et al. (2022).
Shame and silence: Liver disease stigma in young adults. Hepatology Communications, 6(5), 1043–1051.
Corrigan, P. W., et al. (2017).
The impact of stigma on healthcare delay: A review. Community Mental Health Journal, 53(5), 519–525.
Singh, S., et al. (2021).
Understanding liver health stigma in primary care: Barriers to early detection. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(9), 2782–2788.