Isolation can be a direct result of internalized stigma and, in turn, it impacts health and wellness as well as different forms of social participation including using health services and participating in community activities. Three different experiences will illustrate how social empowerment is key to personal resilience. The impact of isolation in people’s lives will demonstrate the challenges of isolation as well as how experiences of building social capital helped people to thrive and improve their quality of life.

Isolation can be a direct result of internalized stigma and, in turn, it impacts health and wellness as well as different forms of social participation including using health services and participating in community activities. Three different experiences will illustrate how social empowerment is key to personal resilience. The impact of isolation in people’s lives will demonstrate the challenges of isolation as well as how experiences of building social capital helped people to thrive and improve their quality of life.