Stigma Of Depression

Although written in the 1850’s, the societies portrayed in the books share similar characteristics to modern day society. For example, society expects too much of high school students. A New York University study claims, “Nearly half (49%) of all students reported feeling a great deal of stress on a daily basis... Grades, homework, and preparing for college were the greatest sources of stress for both genders. A substantial minority, 26 percent of participants, reported symptoms of depression at a clinically significant level”(“NYU Study” 10). Evidently, there is a rise in stress levels among modern students. One can attribute this to the pressure schools and colleges put on kids. Colleges want to see students participate in extracurricular

There exists a strong stigma to those who have problems dealing with stress. For instance, for those students who deal with fatigue or symptoms of depression, many of those are afraid to get proper treatment. Scientist Lewis Wolpert explains, “The stigma of depression is different from that of other mental illnesses and largely due to the negative nature of the illness that makes depressives seem unattractive and unreliable. Self stigmatisation makes patients shameful and secretive and can prevent proper treatment” (1). Depression and other mental illnesses are viewed as bad, and this stigma prevents students and other victims from getting the help they need. Society puts stigmas on things that are due to the fact that humans are flawed and cannot handle high levels of stress. By putting negative connotations on such mental illnesses, society is viewing human weakness as evil and something to be ashamed about, even if everyone is susceptible to the same thing. Altogether, modern values demonize stress-related symptoms which everyone is susceptible to as the levels of anxiety are much too high. Therefore, values are immoral as it punishes people for having human

For instance, in the Scarlet Letter, members of the Puritan church are expected to uphold impossible religious purity, which causes Reverend Dimmesdale to be torn with grief. He treats Hester, whose only crime was to succumb to her emotion, like an outcast. Also, in “Bartleby the Scrivener”, workers like Bartleby are expected to become drones, isolating and alienating them until they eventually crack. Plus, today’s society pressures students with an enormous amount of work, leading to higher stress levels and possibly leading to the usage of drugs. And yet, there is a strong stigma to those who need help, even if the problem is due to human weakness and not an evil, preventing those from getting further help. Although civilizations might help humans become model citizens, humans lose what makes them human. Societies have been built and reconstructed all throughout the history of mankind, and yet no amount of fixing can change the main evils of society. Communities will always be corrupt unless someone creates an entirely different