Essay about Medicating Mental Illnesses

I’ve always been passionate about understanding others; stepping into their shoes and seeing, thinking, and appreciating the lives they live. I think it is important to take that extra step and see things from a different point of view. It is the only way to achieve a true understanding. I believe in this philosophy so much so, that it’s one of the main reasons I have this blog; to give others a glimpse of a life with mental illness. I’ve been in treatment for 2 months and 26 days and I think it’s time for another peek into my brain.

The purpose of this essay is to explain the definitions of mental health, mental illness and psychiatric disability, using bipolar disorder as an example to illustrate these points. Bipolar disorder will also be used to explain the concepts of the medical and social models of disability, highlight the influence these two models could have on people with the disorder and the experiences they might encounter. There will be a focus on some of the experiences a person suffering from mental illness might have in society, the effect these experiences can have on an individual and the influence of stigmas and stereotypes. This leads to the final discussion point, the action of self-disablement. This section discusses how a person with a mental health issue can be influenced by labels, stigmas and stereotypes, and how this can stop them from seeking help and achieving their goals.

People with mental health issues have been viewed and treated in a variety of ways within western society throughout time. Historically if an individual displayed behaviours which disrupted their function in society and defied social norms they were viewed as lunatics, insane or even cursed (Cowan, 2008; Elder & Evans & Nizette, 2009). It is from these past issues that many people still have unreasonable thoughts about mental illness; their misconceptions have created unreasonable fears and negative attitudes toward those who experience it. This negativity brings for many the barriers of not only

The lack of treatment for mental illnesses — due partly from the stigma with which it is associated with — comes with a number of public issues: economically,

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

I consider myself lucky, lucky that I was able to get help before it was too late. But most times in America the ones that need help the most are afraid to get it, and we don’t know who they are. It could be your frail, quiet, precise mailman, a constantly changing, moody friend, your very own nervous anxious boss, the rather aggravated stranger you pass by on the way to work, maybe even the familiar figure looking back at you in the mirror. But we don’t know, and probably never will because of the stigma that is placed on mental illness. Nearly 25% of America’s population deals with mental illness, and frankly, America is not helping them.

Just last year 1 in 5 Americans suffered from mental illness. Everyday Americans and people in other countries are suffering because of mental illness and they should be treated to matter the cost. Mental health has just as much effect on the body as does physical health. Which that comes to my essential question. Should health care companies cover mental health treatment? One side says yes because that would help millions of people with getting treatment because the cost is too extensive for them. But on one side of the claim some people say that the cost is too severe to cover everyone’s mental health treatment through insurance. Nevertheless, It is extremely essential that no matter the cost that people are being treated for their mental illnesses. Many people are suffering from unfair treatment from insurance companies with mental health issues to prove that I will talk about that people really do suffer, that mental health patients really do want help and lastly that it is legally deemed to be treated the same insurance wise.

Mental health services ended up being far from reached by patients with primary psychiatric disorders. Mental health care means not only improving access but also improving clinical quality and ensuring cultural competence. It is the ability to treat and support programs to encounter individuals on personal terms and in methods that are customarily aware.

Mental health and illness is something that unfortunately lacks aid in our world and society. Not only is mental illness something that is difficult to handle for those that are suffering from the symptoms and trying to live with them day in and day out. These people are also stuck dealing with the huge stereotypes and stigmas of mental illness and lack of knowledge by others.

In the most recent decades, mental disorders have entered to the medical model just as any other physical disease. If a person starts hearing voices, suffers from certain paranoia, or feels like is falling into a depression, he or she can call a specialist and take care of those symptoms just as back pain or a flu. However, mental disorders are not only permanent incurable, such as most of the physical illnesses, but they are susceptible for any stigmatization for people diagnosed with any mental condition. Therefore, a mental impaired individual suffers from the illness, and the reaction from the people around him or her being double condemned for their condition. In other words, they are double stigmatized. Nevertheless, social factors also

People that suffer from mental illnesses are often thought to have drawn the short hand in life. Not only must they experience the hardships that many go through from day to day, but they must do so with a whole new layer of issues that are no walk in the park. On top of everything, they have to mull over the different methods of coping with their condition. From “talk therapy” to drowning in medications, all are temporary solutions to a major issue that has been plaguing humanity for as long as history can record. What about this situation could possibly be changed? One viewpoint theorizes that a lack of public awareness about mental health is the greatest downfall when it comes to treatment options. Another point of view states that a lack

The growing population extends in diversity by the second around the world, for there is not a single human being identical to another. In terms of personality, looks, and interests, each individual creates a unique addition to our own developed society. Tolerance towards indifferences to the percent of population containing a mental illness needs to be expanded. Society needs to expose the reality of the multiplicity of individuals. Undeniably, different characteristics about a person should be identified. However, people should not be labeled with a diagnosis or a disorder due to their actions.The members of the world today have most likely experienced a form of mental instability at one point in their life. The education provided to the public concerning mental illnesses is limited, and perhaps not taken seriously. Addressing the problem and educating society 's people is the only way to reach a solution to a broad conflict. To expose the amount of people that struggle with an illness that disables them to act differently in situations would create a wider understanding of different reactions. Society has isolated these actions of mental illnesses as something to be ashamed of over time, and have discriminated these acts making them prohibited. To reach a solution of tolerance towards mental disorders, the combination of actions for addressing the problem, educating the public of the intolerance, and

Mental health—and the stigma that comes along with it—is a very important issue, one of global importance. Shah and Beinecke explain that 450 to 500 million people suffer from mental illnesses (15). Just considering the amount of people who suffer from mental illness is enough to prove that this is a global issue. Despite the large amounts of people who are affected by mental illness, only one third of countries have some sort of program to help (15). This shows the lack of concern for those who suffer from mental illness. Stereotypes affect many people, and those with mental illness are no exception. Everyone has their own preconceived perspectives and notions of mental health, and many of them are uninformed and unjustified. It is up to us to start changing our viewpoints on mental health.

“I want to be able to talk to someone in a pub and say ‘I have been mentally ill’ and for them to say ‘That’s interesting, what did you experience?’”, said a survivor from the UK in 1997 (Sayce 18). Almost twenty years later and this man 's wish still has not come true. People may ask why, and the answer is because of the stigma that comes along with having a mental illness. Mental illness is something not often talked about because of the fear of being judged. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every four Americans has a mental illness, and only about 40% of them seek professional help (Hamid). People are being put into mental institutions instead of getting the help that they need to get better, because even people in the medical field are not understanding about this situation because they do not understand how it feels. The stigma and stereotypes towards mental illnesses are overwhelming, therefore people should be made aware of their impact and take steps to reduce stigma and stereotypes.

Source 5 is a primary cross-Sectional Population Based study and was written by Anna Wikman, Jane Wardle and Andrew Steptoe in (2011) for the purpose of statistically analysing the effect of chronic illnesses to mental health. That impact chronic conditions have on general quality of life is assessed in a population-based, cross sectional study to compare general quality of life and affective well-being in middle aged and older people across eight chronic conditions. Intestinal malrotation being a rare condition is not included in this study. However as chronic pain is experienced by adults with intestinal malrotation and this study includes conditions such as cancer, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis that cause chronic pain, I have