Journalist, Anna Quindlen in her essay, “The C Word in the Hallways,” argues that the ignorance that surrounds mental health needs to end and the idea of treatment needs to become more conventional. She supports her claim by first illustrating a real life example about two boys that murdered people because of their mental illnesses, then narrating fact and statistics about the trends of mental illness, then defining stereotypes that boys face regarding talk therapy, and finally including details about what could have been the outcome of the two boys if treatment was effective. Quindlen’s purpose is to educate the audience about the pathology of mental illness in order to end the stigma and motivate the audience to take action to help young
Thesis—The award winning novel, Cut, written by Patricia McCormick has been challenged worldwide in many educational systems because it has been proven to be extremely triggering for all ages, especially young adults, and includes harsh themes. Although some readers may agree with this, Cut is actually a very moving and life-changing book. This novel helps others better understand mental illness’, encourages teens to seek help and talk about inner hidden thoughts, and creates a both unique and strong connection with others battling demons screaming within their bodies. This takes them closer to shore and further from the distant island of isolation and loneliness they are too familiar with.
For a very long time, mental health was a disease people would not dare speak about. The stigma associated with mental health meant that it was viewed as a curse or simply poor upbringing. Crazy, right? (Pardon the pun). Although it’s not seen as a curse by us in this generation any more, many people with mental health issues still have to face ignorance, prejudice and discrimination from our society just because of their lack of understanding or reluctance to try and understand. Be that as it may, these attitudes directly impact upon how and if people choose to seek help, making the negative and ignorant opinions and attitudes of others potentially dangerous to many individuals and the people around them.
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.
This stereotype contributes to the stigma individuals’ face and encourages social exclusion and intolerance, especially in schizophrenia (Ray & Brooks Dollar, 2014). Ken sought out help and went to the emergency room because he recognized he was severely depressed. There, the doctor promised he would not be put in restraints, yet when he was taken to the hospital, he was placed in restraints because it was company policy (Steele & Berman, 2001). Due the stigma that individuals with mental illness are violent, Ken was not treated fairly (Stuart & Arboleda-Florez, 2012). Stuart and Arboleda-Florez (2012) are very credible authors to be writing on the effects of stigma in mental health. Both authors have experience in psychiatry, combatting stigma and mental health issues.
Mental illness is more common than one would like to believe. In reality, one in five Americans will suffer from a mental disorder in any given year. Though that ratio is about equivalent to more than fifty-four million people, mental illness still remains a shameful and stigmatized topic (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). The taboo of mental illness has an extensive and exhausting history, dating back to the beginning of American colonization. It has not been an easy road, to say the least.
In today’s society, the stigma around mental health has caused many people to fear seeking medical treatment for problems they are dealing with. With an abundance of hateful outlooks and stereotypical labels such as: crazy, psycho, and dangerous, it is clear that people with a mental illness have a genuine reason to avoid pursuing medical treatments. Along with mental health stigma, psychiatric facilities that patients with a mental health issue attend in order to receive treatment obtain an excessive amount of unfavorable stereotypes.
However, local and national news also produces negativity towards mental illness by “portraying people with mental illness as threats to themselves and to others” (Anaya 4). In the past two years, the news features stories such as a man who has schizophrenia, running on a shooting spree then killing himself; or a mother with depression who murders her children, then kills herself (Anaya 4). Anaya explains that television programs use mental illness as a headline to grab the attention of views and ultimately implies to respond with fear (5). Highlighting that mental illnesses are the reason for the evil in society, hurting those who suffer with mental illnesses. Therefore, the population begin to believe mental illness is bad, so do the people who suffer with mental
Corrigan argues that clinical diagnosis might exacerbate the stigma of mental illness. In Corrigan’s study clinical diagnosis adds groupness for the collection of people with mental illness which worsens the level of prejudice (Corrigan 34). Corrigan states that this ultimately leads to overgeneralization, as there is an assumption that all individuals diagnosed with the same mental disorders behave the same way (Corrigan 34). According to Corrigan the stereotypic description of mental illness perceives to the public that, people with diagnosis are not likely to recover from those disorders, which can lead to pessimistic attitudes from the public (Corrigan 35). Corrigan suggests that one of the solutions is to understand the diagnosis dimensionally rather than the traditional categorical diagnosis (Corrigan 36). Another solution Corrigan suggests is for the mental health providers to have individual contact with people who are recovered from mental disorders as they are living a life that challenges the stigma (Corrigan 36). The final solution Corrigan suggests is to replace assumptions of “poor prognosis with models of recovery” (Corrigan 37). Corrigan mainly focuses on the stigma of mental illness in independent living and work settings. One might wonder how the stigma of mental illness can influence in university settings, where the average age of people influenced is younger than people in work settings. Universities must use variations of education and contact in their initiatives in order to effectively reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Stereotypes and stigmas promote a dangerous, single-minded perspective. These incomplete or half-truths are often far more duplicitous than lies, as they are more difficult to detect. When these perspectives remain unchecked, they can result in far-reaching, adverse consequences. It is the individual’s duty to refuse to perpetuate this single story perspective. Due to misinformation presented by the media, the stigma surrounding mental illness has created a discriminatory single story perspective; however, through honest and open dialogue, particularly with those suffering from these diseases, these stereotypes can be abolished.
1. I think your essay was not written too informally at all. It was relatable in a way that wasn't so casual. I not only understood where you were coming from with your arguments but I also found an agreement in what your overall takeaway was. It was a message that was not harsh in the sense of being a horrible human being but in regaining the strength and social status of society itself.
The media may have started a battle against the taboo with stars admitting to problems, in most schools in America silence wrings through the halls about mental health. School should be the first place to start informing students that they could be at risk of a serious problem that could affect them the rest of their life. Research done by the University Mental Health Advisers Network showed that ‘half of all lifetime mental disorders start by the mid-teens and three quarters by the mid 20s” (Time). Avoiding mental health and not informing students of the possibility only puts them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, phrases that stigmatize mental health are commonly used, but no one realizes the effect they have on people suffering from problems. A survey of 546 teachers concluded that “88% of teachers and 96% of teaching assistants had heard pupils using phrases which stigmatise mental health in school”(Barber). Always hearing those phrases puts students suffering in a mindset that their pro...
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.
In recent years, people with mental illness and violence have received widespread of news media coverage. Specifically, the aftermath of violent act is often viewed as a gateway of opportunity to support negative attitudes toward people with mental illness. The new media portrayal acts of violence committed by individuals with mental disorders appear to play a critical role in influencing negative perceptions toward individuals with mental illness (McGinty, Webster, & Barry, 2013). When a person commits ruthless acts of violence, speculations about their mental health from the public are never far behind. Research suggests that violent acts can increase mental illness stigma, strengthen stereotypes that people with mental disorders are aggressive
More than half of college students are involved in some form of campus hazing, 73% of students participating in social fraternities and sororities have experienced at least one hazing behavior, and since 1970, there has been at least one hazing-related college death each year. Hazing is defined as humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, especially as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority. Hazing is a serious crime with serious consequences for both the perpetrator and the victim. 46% of students in high school and college believe that the most important component of hazing is to keep the code of silence which is what leads to injuries and death. There are many fraternities throughout the United States such as Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, etc. that are still active to this day even with their lists of allegations and crimes caused from
Mass media “references to people with mental health problems found more than four in ten articles in the press used derogatory terms about mental health and nearly half of press coverage related mental illness to violence and crime” (Esseler, 244). This is causing for people to look down upon the mention of mental illnesses and many times ignore the importance of confronting this issue. Therefore the importance of removing this stigmatization is crucial. Education allows to make more informed decisions and then changing the perception of mental illness can lead towards policy changes toward the improvement of mental health (Sakellari,