Addressing the Silent Crisis: Mental Illness

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Mental illness is one of the least talked about problems. The fact that is not really talked about does not make it any less important. 1 in 5 people suffer from some form of mental illness every year (Mental Health Numbers, par. 1). These people often talk down to and criticized for not been behaving normally. The only thing is that normal is not a universal term. What is normal for one person is not normal for another. This is where one of the main problems arise with mental illness: Lack of awareness, other problems are the lack of resources available in hospitals and the lack of permanent solutions for treatment. Mental illness has been around since the stone age and is still a problem today. It is time for a change to occur. Mental illness …show more content…

Throughout history, the theories for the causes of mental illness have been placed into three categories: supernatural, somatogenic (bodily disorder), and psychogenic (mental disorder). (Farreras par, 2). The supernatural causes are often described as being possessed, by a demon or spirit, or as punishment for committing a sin. Somatogenic causes can occur after a severe brain injury or a lack of oxygen in the brain. Psychogenic illnesses often are the result of past experiences being traumatic. The theory of the illness would often dictate on how the person was treated. If the patient was suffering from severe panic attacks the treatment would be vastly different from if an evil spirit possessed the patient. Possible treatments can differ as much as calling a priest or draining blood from the …show more content…

It affects so many people around the world every day. Everyone knows someone who is suffering from a mental disorder. These people are fighting a battle that is incredibly difficult. With knowledge of what is wrong in their minds, these people can change and become fully functioning adults. Advances in medicine need to be made and this is achieved through funding. There are many places people can give to help raise awareness or create a new medicine. Progress can be made and with this progress people will start to look at the mental ill in a new light and realize that they are people just like them. The realization is key into working towards fixing the problem that is mental

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