More than 57 million people in the United States suffer from some type of mental disorder. Mental illnesses can turn a person’s world upside down. These medical conditions can disrupt every aspect of a person and their family’s lives. Mental disorders do not discriminate; age, sex, or color does not matter when it comes to mental illness. Many people live with different types of mental health problems. These problems can be anxieties, drug or alcohol addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder, and personality and mood disorders. People can suffer from one or more of these conditions. There are treatment options available but unfortunately treatable mental illness is being left untreated. Many people feel ashamed or just don’t realize the help available to them. In the past several decades there have been substantial changes in the care for those with mental disorders but even with all the technology, science and a better understanding of what mental illness is, improvement of the lives of those with a mental illness still falls short. One disorder seems to be making its way to the front of the line of all the different disorders out there. Bipolar disorder. Statistics are saying by 2020 bipolar disorder will be the number two health ailment, right behind heart decease (Reilly 224). We can teach society about this disorder and educate people on the see-saw of emotions tied to bipolar and the treatment that is available to them to help ease some of the weight on bipolar patients and their loved ones. There is hope!
Stating that an individual has a mental illness can be interpreted many ways, however it is usually defined and understood as a psychological disease or disorder. The severity of the illness determines how much of an individual’s daily functioning will be affected. The ability to care for one’s self, a home or household and the ability to maintain an intimate relationship are lost. Homeless people with mental disorders remain homeless for longer periods of time and begin to have less contact with family and friends. Mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression, can cause a strain on family and other social relationships (Hawkins and Abrams 2007). Studies have examined what the quality of life is like after discovering that one has a mental illness, those who become homeless and other studies focus mainly on treatment options. Suffering with a mental illness makes it more di...
I have really enjoyed doing the research for this project. Mental illnesses are something that I have been really fascinated in, and by writing about several of these illnesses I have learned quite a bit. I never realized that some of these mental illnesses could be so similar yet affect their lives so differently. Many people could not live a happy life if it was not for the help of their loved ones, and the doctors that make their treatments available.
Not every single person that has been diagnosed with a mental disorder is an unlawful individual, drug addict, or danger to society. But sadly, that’s the stigma. The public fears people with mental illness. They think that anyone with a psychiatric disorder cannot be controlled. In an online blog post, Susan Blumenthal states, “many consider mental health problems to be the result of personal character flaws rather than real illnesses, like heart disease or diabetes” (Blumenthal, 2012). Family members often think that the diagnosed loved one is just “attention seeking” or that they “need to just get over it already.” When an unfortunate event happens in the world, such as a public shooting, immediately the public assumes that “they must have some type of psychotic
Surprisingly people in the mental health field, including but not limited: to doctors, specifically psychiatrists, nurses, therapists, and counselors, also contribute to the stigmatization of mental illness. “Since health professionals are part of the general public, their attitudes may in part reflect social stigma; however, their unique roles and responsibility to ‘help’ may create a specific barrier” (Ahmedani 4). Many patients report feeling marginalized by their health care professionals and that their own personal thoughts, feelings, and ideals are not being accounted for. On the surface many mental illnesses might seem very similar, but in actuality they are all very different and have to be handled different ways, just like every patient is different and will not always respond in a predictable way. It takes a long time to properly manage a person’s mental illness because no one management or treatment works for everyone. “Overall, health professionals may not provide adequate intervention, early detection, or community referral options for individuals with mental or behavioral disorders” (Ahmedani 7). It is easier for health professionals to accept the stereotypes and give the majority of their patients a mediocre treatment that can be applies to many illnesses than to give each patient an adequate treatment plan that is specifically designed for him or her. In creating a customized treatment plan for a patients “Clinicians should ask about the nature of adverse experiences, discrimination, the extent of social networks, self-image, etc., and incorporate these issues into the treatment plan” (Byrne 69). It will be a slower and more difficult process than giving them a baseline treatment, but personalizing treatments for each patient ensures that they are getting the best help for their specific
Mental health is an issue that has been bombarded with unanswered questions and cursed with a social stigma. Throughout history this has created a social divide between mental health issues and the mainstream media. This disparity doesn’t only create a social separation, but a lapse in ethics, making it tolerable to look down on people in the mental health community. Historically, patients have been placed or forced into mental institutions in order to “cure” them of their mental obscurity so that they can function normally in the society, yet for centuries this has proven to be an ongoing struggle for the mental health community. With all of the new advancements in medicine and our ability to cure more physical and mental ailments than
Mental health issues are pervasive in todays society. Individuals diagnosed with severe mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, have a diminished wellbeing due to the stressors associated with their illness. Whether these psychosocial aggravations are an internalized manifestation of poor self esteem, societal renunciation, or subjective distress, it is evident that mental illness is a stigma on the individual dealing with the disorder, as well as a strain on societal resources. While reliance on psychotropic medications and psychosocial interventions have traditionally been a common treatment plan, many argue that the overuse and inappropriate prescription of drugs in the treatment of mental heath is creating a larger problem than
When I first began hearing Mental Health, I thought it was a nice way of saying you’re dealing with crazy people (I know we are not supposed to say this). I have learned that Mental Health is an umbrella under which Mental Illness or Disorders are developed or discovered and treated. Everyone has Mental Health whether they have a problem or not is another question. I think every place of employment should be required to have classes on mental health and customer service no matter line of line it is. This would help solve some of the problems we have with work place violence and stress and some of the issues with the police. It would also help lead some people to getting the help they may need on their own
My heart is pounding, hands sweating, vision blurry, what wrong with me? What is that horrible sweet sound? I finally came to my senses and realized that I’m doing terrible on my first violin solo. I can hear the scratchy sound of my strings, the judge stopped me and told me to start again, and so I position myself properly I held my violin proudly, my back was straight, and my wrist shaped like an L, I took a deep breath and held it I place my bow back onto my string and started to play but this time my bow was bouncing I was shaking I sound unskillfully but I can hear the soft sound of the piano playing along with me I was off beat once I bunch a note the pianist will play one of its keys we are supposed to be together so I stopped and
in order to help myself become happy again, but that was going to be difficult since the
The stigma and negative associations that go with mental illness have been around as long as mental illness itself has been recognized. As society has advanced, little changes have been made to the deep-rooted ideas that go along with psychological disorders. It is clearly seen throughout history that people with mental illness are discriminated against, cast out of society, and deemed “damaged”. They are unable to escape the stigma that goes along with their illness, and are often left to defend themselves in a world that is not accepting of differences in people. Society needs to realize what it is doing, and how it is affecting these people who are affected with mental illness. If we continue to not help them, and to foster their illness, it will only get worse.
I completely agree with you on the ridiculousness of these newer rules. As a baseball player, I can most certainly connect to what you are thinking. When, I was an eight year old baseball player and running to second base, I was going to slide hard and late into second base. I was not intending to hurt another player, but this is just what I was taught. As for other situations, during my early childhood I would love watching the collisions between a runner and a catcher at home plate. That in my mind was one of the most intense plays that could occur in a baseball game. Then, going back to what you stated with the new development of the rules regarding sliding into second base and collisions at home plate, these are not needed. The major
It was dark that night, I was nervous that this dreadful day was going to get worse. Sunday, October 23, 1998 I wanted to start writing this to tell about the weird things i’m starting to see in this new neighborhood. Gradually I keep seeing pots and pans on the sink suddenly move to the floor. I would ask my sister but she is out with my mom and dad getting the Halloween costumes. When they got home I didn’t tell them what I saw because i've seen Halloween movies and I have to have dissimulation otherwise the ghost will come out and get me first. October 24, 1998 I think I got a little nervous yesterday with the whole ghost thing. 12:32pm, Went to eat lunch with the family today and I go to get my coat. I heard the words furious and madness,
The needs of those with chronic mental illness are often misunderstood and overlooked. This population either may feel invisible or stigmatized by a society that prefers not to have to face the plight of those with lifelong mental disorders. Having a mental illness is difficult on its own, and adding the stress of finding and keeping a job to the equation can be extremely daunting. Finding the right medication, building a trusted treatment team, and maintaining a strong support system are all imperative to those suffering from mental illness. Even with these protective factors in place, many individuals still experience low-self esteem (Xie, 2013). Oftentimes they have had to quit jobs or school for a certain period of time because of their illness, and these starts and stops can be logged in their memories as “failures”. If their illness symptoms are unpredictable, they may be hesitant to secure a position because of the fear that they might get sick again. Mental illness still holds with it a huge stigma, despite strides toward greater awareness and acceptance. This stigma can become internalized, and it makes it even harder for
Using narratives to gain an insight into human experience is becoming an increasingly popular method of exploration. Assuming that people are in essence narrative beings that experience every emotion and state through narrative, the value of exploring these gives us a unique understanding. Narrative is thought to act as instrument to explore how an individual constructs their own identity (Czarniawska, 1997) and explain how each individual makes sense of the world around them (Gabriel, 1998). It may also give us an understanding into individual thought processes in relation to individual decision making practices (O’Connor, 1997). It is evident from studies such as Heider and Simmel (1944), that there appears to be an instinctive nature in people to introduce plots structures and narratives into all situations, with an intention to construct meaning to all aspects of life in its entirety. The value of narrative is that it is a tool that allows us to understand what it means to be human and gives us an insight into a person’s lived experience whilst still acknowledging their cultural and social contexts. Narrative is thought to be significance as it is ‘a fruitful organizing principle to help understand the complex conduct of human beings (p.49)’ (Sarbin, 1990) The construction of a person’s narrative is thought to be dependent on each person’s individual awareness of themselves and the circumstances that surround them. However, a debate to whether a person is able to formulate a valid narrative in the face of a mental illness such as schizophrenia has emerged. Sufferer’s symptoms are often thought to interfere with their abilities to perceive within a level deemed acceptable to their society’s norms and therefore the validity ...