Mental Illness According To Pat's Story

The readings for today consisted of “Recovery’s Edge: An Ethnography of Mental health Care and Moral Agency” by Neely Laurenzo Myers. As stated in the title, this book is an ethnography of individual’s dealings with “recovery” from mental illness through a “Peer Empowerment Program” headed by individuals who also suffered from mental illness (Laurenzo Myers 2015). Laurenzo Myers’s writing provides an insightful account of the way in which we perceive mental illness in the United States, as well as a way to see how changes to our country’s mental health care system dealt a devastating blow to an incredibly vulnerable population (Laurenzo Myers 2015).

When people think of an “illness” they typically don’t automatically think of mental illness. They think about HIV, cancer, or even a cold or flu. However when it comes to mental illness it is a whole different idea. But is mental illness even real? Addressed in the book, The Myth of Mental Illness (1961), a psychiatrist Thomas Szasz argues that the idea of classifying psychological and emotional difficulties as “illnesses” takes away sense of control. Instead of holding people personally and morally responsible for their actions, he states, doctors attempt to “treat” the person, often with medications. Diagnosing mental illness, on the other hand, argue that mental disorders are as real as physical diseases and diagnosing them allows people

Society sees mental illnesses as a plea for sympathy, not as a medical issue needing attention. “The disease has sharpened my senses-not destroyed-not dulled them” (387). Similarly, the narrator does not

In Silver Linings Playbook Pat, a middle-aged man, turns to living with his parents upon losing his job, his wife and being checked into a mental institute. He is admitted into the mental institute because he almost beats the man he catches his wife cheating on him with to death. Upon being checked into the mental institute he is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He is in denial of losing his wife to another man and hopes to win her back and rebuild his life with her, despite her writing him off to the point of getting a restraining order against him. When Pat meets Tiffany, who also suffers with mental disorders, presumably borderline personality disorder, they begin a tentative friendship. Pat promises to dance with Tiffany in a dance competition in exchange for her passing along a message to his wife. They ultimately fall in love and decide to pursue a relationship with each other. (Silver Linings Playbook, 2012)

Self-pity and pessimistic attitudes remain a topic of discussion with a mentally ill patient, however the more valuable picture revolves around the stigma that the public holds towards those with a mental illness. Unrun Ozer, member of International Committee of National Journal Editors, acknowledges that, “Stigmatization is described as attributing someone in a way that would decrease the person’s reputation because the individual strays away from the general norms of the society” ( 225). Ozer clarifies that a stigma is an unfavorable viewpoint that society has on someone that is perceived as different. Those with a mental illness are susceptible to vulnerability because they are at a small disadvantage than the normal person. Negative connotations, such as adverse viewpoints and perplexing labels, affect the care and treatment process of those suffering because their compliance to treatment decreases. Society is too quick to judge and be ignorant if someone isn’t in perfect form, and Ozer reports, “ It has been reported that individuals with mental illnesses are seen by the society as dangerous, frightening, unstable, irresponsible, unpredictable, and having communication problems” (Ozer 225). Ozer declares that these labels are degrading to an individual with a mental illness, and cause feelings of introversion, decreased self-confidence, worthlessness, shame and despair. If we want happiness to be achievable for all, then criticizing individuals is a step in the wrong

From there, the article talks about how mental illness is a global problem and how societies all over the world see it as a burden. Because of this, mental illnesses have become a chronic disease, especially in the United States; this because nothing is being done to help those affected. The article has a focus on creating strategies to help resolve or improve the problems there are with mental illness. The author looks at past resolutions and asks people who are actually going through this themselves in order to better understand what society can do to help alleviate some of the pain and

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

Although about 450 million people in the world currently are suffering from a mental illness, many untreated, the topic still remains taboo in modern society (Mental Health). For years, people with mental illnesses have been shut away or institutionalized, and despite cultural progression in many areas, mental illnesses are still shamed and rarely brought to light outside of the psychiatric community. The many different forms in which mental illness can occur are incredibly prevalent in the world today, and there is a substantial debate about the way that they should be handled. Some people are of the opinion that mental illness is merely a variance in perception and that it either can be fixed through therapy or should not be treated at

As discussed, the treatment they receive from members of the public, and also the way they view their own condition, and the conduct of mental health professionals involved with them are all affected by the biomedical approach (Haslam, & Kvaale, 2015). When presented with a biomedical explanation for their disorder, patients have an increased pessimism in regards to their recovery, a tendency to elect medication as opposed to psychological therapy, and they are also less likely to believe in their control over their own moods and in the potential for recovery (Haslam, & Kvaale, 2015). A negative outlook on personal mental illness has detrimental effects on sufferers. This perception directly affects a patient’s resilience, emotional state, and mood, which promotes a submissive approach to recovery and the idea of having no control over their illness. An optimistic outlook in regards to their own illness is plays a crucial role in improvement and

Firstly, I am going to be pointing out what I have learnt through my experience with mentally ill patients and the way in which society deals/impacts them. My formative contact experience with mental health nursing occurred when I helped a close relation who suffered (postpartum psychosis) several episodes of mental illness

Psychiatric knowledge has become the dominant ideology people use to distinguish between behaviour that is considered to be normal behaviour and abnormal behaviour. Mental illness is treated as deviant behaviour and this theory unravels the ways in which our society, tries to control this deviant behaviour, through social stigma if we do not comply with medical treatment. Essentially, it helps change my experience because although I viewed mental health services institution as helpers, it also uncover how they oppressed marginalized groups like people with mental illnesses. There seems to be a clear division in the role of these services as they are becoming less interested in helping people with mental illness cope, but are more invested in trying to normalize

Every patient was at differing points in their lives. Some were just nearly reaching the mountain whereas others realized that there would always be mountains to climb. The psychiatric patients in peculiar helped me discover my identity although most of them had forgotten theirs. One thing that was common in all of their stories was the severe injustice they had to face for desiring treatment. Many of them resisted getting diagnosed for the fear that they would be looked at as “freaks”. I got to learn of the severe negative stigma that surrounds mental health patients: A Schizophrenic patient is not viewed the same as a Leukemia patient. This is only one of the unjust events that I grew to learn about. At home I was babied and mature adult conversations were shushed because I was too young while at the hospital I was treated as a fellow coworker who was expected to handle touchy topics. I realized that the hospital is one of the few places where everyone is welcomed regardless of their label. We live in a time where there are many humans but scarce humanity. It seems like such a miracle if someone is witnessed performing an act of kindness but as humans it should only be

Mental illness becomes a bigger issue with a long lasting cultural stereotyped due to the manner in which it has long been labelled (Miles, 1988). Although mental illness is very much connected to instabilities in one’s mental health state, as previously mentioned, a person can be mentally healthy but still suffer from a mental illness. What is understood by mental illness is that it

I want to pursue a career in psychiatry, which allows me to think and feel, and to relate to others and to the world in a genuine and meaningful way. I still remember an incident when one of my colleagues asked me with concern: "Why do you want to go into psychiatry? You are a good doctor. Can't you see you are wasting your talents?" It became clear to me that the stigma against people with mental disorders extends to the doctors who look after them, and emanates most strongly from the medical profession itself. Too often, practitioners are mired in their own preoccupations and prejudices. As a profession, we can do much more to change perceptions of the general public as well as physicians in other specialties towards people suffering from mental disorders. As a psychiatrist, I intend to work not only on behalf of my patients and their health, but also on behalf of an understanding of mental health within the medical profession and on a wider societal

My role models have always been nurses. When in hospital wards visiting family members or even on hospital placement, where I have completed over 500 hours, my attention has always been on the nurses, admiring their amazing work ethic and their ability to change someone’s life for the better, this is when I decided that I belonged in this profession. I am passionate about mental health as I have personal experience of witnessing and overcoming these issues. To this day, many still feel too uncomfortable to talk about it and I want to change that. For a long time, I was often in denial about my own struggles with mental health problems and have refused help because I could not accept my diagnosis. I convinced myself that ‘others had it worse’; this mind-set eventually made my condition deteriorate without me realising. As a result, I now advocate that my friends discuss it just like a physical ailment so that their struggles feel as valid as a broken leg or an infected wound; it is a wound in their mind.