In today’s society 67% of women in the age of 16-29 doesn’t experience happiness in life. Even though people talk more freely of mental illness today there are still a shame and taboo about feeling unhappy and reach out for help to get better. The purpose of this study is to examine what motivates women with mental illness to search for help within the primary health care. To get an additional view of the work three sociologic theories and conceptions have been used to showcase the phenomenon. Ervin Goffmans theory about stigma, Thomas J Scheffs conception shame and Axel Honneths theory about confession.

This study issued from a qualitative method in the shape of interviews with eight different women, where their vision of what motivates them, their experience and in what way it has been meaningful for them to seek help for their mental illness was showcased. The result established that family and friends is a motivator to seek help but also that the experience of seeking help was defective. The conclusion explained that it has been meaningful for them to get help and that the majority feels better today, but that they still have rough periods that in some cases won’t meet the requirements from the primary health care.