Mental Illness Effecting the Human Condition

1523 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on psychiatry

Mental Illness Effecting the Human Condition

The human mind according to some is all there is to our existence. If that is the case, then what would happen to us if our mind was damaged or “not quite there?” There is usually an intersubjective idea, being universally accepted amongst most people in a group or community, idea of what a human is. By some scientific definitions, we are nothing more than chemicals added together that somehow work together to form a human meaning that is what it means to be human, but to some, we are so much more. Philosophers, before we knew how some aspects of the brain work, did not take into account of mental illnesses. Society sometimes does not accept the mentally disordered either, which may explain why some children shows or books are making it seem like they are acceptable. The question is, are the people who have mental disorders actually human?

In the Canadian Medical Association Journal, there is an article, “Pathology in the Hundred Acre Wood: a neurodevelopmental perspective on A.A. Milne” by Sarah E. Shea, that brings up the multiple medical disorders in the popular book/tv show Winnie the Pooh. In Table 1 of this article, it reveals that Winnie the Pooh has ADHD (inattentive subtype), Eeyore has Dysthymic disorder (a type of depression), and Christopher Robin (the actual human child of the story) has Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood. Yet, most children do not question if Christopher Robin is okay; most just see that Christopher Robin is happy. They continue to watch the show and see the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his friends have in the Hundred Acre Woods. It makes one wonder if A.A. Milne is indoctrinating children to believe that people with mental disorders are com...

... middle of paper ...

...ot be a tiger or a Tigger, another character in Winnie the Pooh; however, a cheetah and a tiger/Tigger are still considered by many people to be felines. What does this say about humanity if we try to separate other humans as being different from us or even less then us just because they may be slightly different? Does that make us less human? How can we ever define absolutely what it means to be a human?

Bibliography

Sartre, Jean Paul. Being and Nothingness. Trans. Hazel E. Barnes. London: Routledge, 1989. Print.

Shea, Sarah E., et al. "Pathology in the Hundred Acre Wood: a neurodevelopmental perspective on AA Milne." Canadian Medical Association Journal 163.12 (2000): 1557-1559. Web. 13 March 2014.

Strauss, Valerie. "Why Boy Born without Complete Brain Has to Take 2014 Standardized Test." Washington Post. Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 02 March 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Winnie The Poooh Analysis

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    After analyzing the possible mental issues displayed within the animals in Winnie-the-Pooh, there is a question with the mental state of the author A. A. Milne. The characters within the story could have possibly displayed Milne’s mental disabilities that he faced on a day to day schedule.

    Read More

  • What is Mental Illness?

    1860 Words  | 4 Pages

    To understand what mental illness is you have to know what it means. Mental health is the state of our well-being. Mental health has to do with the mind. According to thefreedictionary.com mental health is “a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life”. Mental illness are behavioral, psychological, and emotional disorders that effect the mind. Mental illness is not something that should be avoided. There many different types of mental illnesses. There are also mental healthcare services that can help people with their mental illnesses.

    Read More

  • Standardized Tests Are Biased and Unfair

    1977 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, M. (2010). Why NOT a National Test for Everyone. Kappan, 1. Retrieved March 16, 2014, from www.pdkintl.org

    Read More

  • The Case Against Standardized Tests

    1087 Words  | 3 Pages

    Evans, Donia. "The Case Against Standardized Tests." The Meridian Star. 24 Nov. 2013. The Meridian Star. 01 Dec. 2013 .

    Read More

  • Mental Illness Vs Sickness Of The Body Essay

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Would You Rather? is a popular game among children, teenagers, and even adults. The game simply gives players two choices and asks them which they would rather. However, what would a player choice if they picked up a car and it read, “Would You Rather… have a mental illness or a physical illness?” You could easily say that mental diseases are worse and name all of the aspects that are terrifying about them; however, you could also say that physical illnesses are worse and list the gory realities of it as well. But what about them both, side by side, with all of their painful characteristics and facts. Mental and physical diseases are no worse than one another because they both disarray daily lives and activities, both

    Read More

  • Autism

    2330 Words  | 5 Pages

    “The word autism still conveys a fixed and dreadful meaning to most people—they visualize a child mute, rocking, screaming, inaccessible, cut off from human contact. And we almost always speak of autistic children, rarely of autistic adults, as if such children never grew up, or were somehow mysteriously spirited off the planet, out of society. Or else we think of an autistic “savant” a strange being with bizarre mannerisms and stereotypies, still cut off from normal life, but with uncanny powers of calculation, memory, drawing, whatever—like the savant portrayed in Rain Man. These pictures are not wholly false, but they fail to indicate that there are forms of autism which do not incapacitate in the same way, but may allow lives that are full of event and achievement, and a special sort of insight and courage too” (Grandin, 12).

    Read More

  • Rethinking America's Mental Health System: Challenges and Solutions

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is no greater time to create a platform to discuss the overhaul of a system of care such as the mental health system in America. Over the past 2 decades, the increase of violent acts in our communities have been attributed to the untreated and abandoned individuals who suffer from mental illness. Despite the government’s best efforts, the lapse in judgement has proven to be devastating to our community and change is a necessary component for intervention and prevention. The purpose of this manuscript’s existence is to bring to light to this overlooked correlation and identify solutions that will be effective and practical.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Mental Health

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mental health is a crucial part of our being and has a profound effect on how we live our lives. It determines how we socialize, how we reason, how we deal with our emotions, and how we handle stress; and when impaired and/or neglected, it can have crippling effects on the way in which we function on a cognitive or even physical level. Anyone can become susceptible to mental illness or compromised mental well-being. However, throughout history mental health has often been overlooked by society and mental illness, in particular, has been long stigmatized. This has left many of those affected untreated, poorly treated, destitute, and even outcast from society. Through education and the changing attitudes of society, mental health treatment has

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Mental Health

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every year, about 42.5 million American adults (18.2 percent of the total adult population in the United States) suffer from some mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that mental illness refers to disorders generally characterized by dysregulation of mood, thought, and/or behavior. Mental illness refers to a broad scope of mental health conditions, disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior such as depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and, addictive behaviors. A mental illness can cause misery and problems within everyday life encounters, such as school, work, or relationships. In most cases, symptoms

    Read More

  • The Mental Health Stigma in our Society

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why is there a cloud of judgment and misunderstanding still surrounding the subject? People with a mental disorder or with a history of mental health issues are continually ostracized by society. This results in it being more difficult than it already is for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and to seek treatment. To towards understanding mental illness is to finally lift the stigma, and to finally let sufferers feel safe and accepted within today’s society. There are many ways in which the mentally ill are degraded and shamed.

    Read More

  • History of Mental Illness

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    History shows that signs of mental illness and abnormal behavior have been documented as far back as the early Greeks however, it was not viewed the same as it is today. The mentally ill were previously referred to as mad, insane, lunatics, or maniacs. W.B. Maher and B.A. Maher (1985) note how many of the terms use had roots in old English words that meant emotionally deranged, hurt, unhealthy, or diseased. Although early explanations were not accurate, the characteristics of the mentally ill have remained the same and these characteristics are used to diagnose disorders to date. Cultural norms have always been used to assess and define abnormal behavior. Currently, we have a decent understanding of the correlates and influences of mental illness. Although we do not have complete knowledge, psychopathologists have better resources, technology, and overall research skills than those in ancient times.

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing is NOT Effective

    2388 Words  | 5 Pages

    Popham, W. James. “Standardized Achievement Tests: Misnamed and Misleading.” Education Week. September 2001. Web. 28 June 2015.

    Read More

  • Mental Health: The Negative Effects Of Mental Health

    1858 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mental health can be a sensitive subject to most of society. “In two identical UK public opinion surveys… over 80% [of participants] endors[ed] the statement that ‘most people are embarrassed by mentally ill people’, and about 30% agreeing ‘I am embarrassed by mentally ill persons’” (Byrne 65). People with a mental illness are thought of as including but not limited to: child-like, weak, and even dangerous. This stigma on people with mental illness(es) can have a negative impact on their lives. This stigma can affect their jobs, relationships, treatment, and overall happiness among other things. The stigma surrounding mental illness has been negatively impacting mental health for decades. The public, the media, and people in the mental health

    Read More

  • Mental Illnesses: The Causes Of Depression And Ixiety

    1726 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mental illnesses are plaguing the world. Because mental illnesses are not seen, society often writes of depression and anxiety as something that is not real. Mental illnesses are complicated and take a while to understand and diagnose. Mental illnesses need to be recognized at a young age in order to be able to treat them. When someone is asked to go out but the person is sick, it is immediately ok and the person will understand. But when a person says they feel down or mentally unfit, they shake their head at them, claiming they just needed an excuse There is such a stigma surrounding mental disorders. People with depression and anxiety often won’t speak out because they are afraid of being judged. People don’t take mental illnesses seriously.

    Read More

  • Essay On Mental Disorders

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin with, Mental Disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily living. Just like chronic disease, a mental illness is a medical condition that often results in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Mental disorders are severe depending upon the severity of the illness. An illness can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.

    Read More

More about Mental Illness Effecting the Human Condition

Open Document