The Ethical Dilemma Of Mental Illness

Ever since the dawn of time, when humanity first crawled into existence, there has been a distinct difficulty with the ability to understand one another. Because of this, humanity has tried to create labels to help us understand each other more easily. Even so, we often do not see eye to eye on how people should be labeled and disagreements are often had. One such label is that of mental illness. Because of the complexity of the human mind, it is often difficult to say with one-hundred percent certainty what mental illness a person has, if they even have one in the first place.

School shootings, genocides, and mass suicides all have one large point in common. The closeted issue that many see as dangerously controversial may finally see some spotlight; mental illness. As the years go on, the nation is seeing more and more cases of these illnesses. With the amount of people with these issues, mental illness should become a forefront of medical care due to its life threatening nature. Humanity is beginning to learn more and more about this epidemic, and with this knowledge, there is optimism for man’s psyche.

Mental illness has many faces. Is mental illness a medical malady that is the result of genetics and brain chemistry? Should it be treated by doctors? Is it best left encapsulated in mental hospitals to protect the individual and society? Is it a social construction made up by the ideas of our culture and the expectation that

Depression is one of the leading causes of death in the world (Moreh and O’Lawrence 3). Approximately 121 million people around the world are affected by depression symptoms (Moreh and O’Lawrence 2). Depression is different than normal sadness that everyone experiences in their lives. Depression is “a common psychological disorder…..that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest” (Moreh and O’Lawrence 2). Depression is often thought of as an issue that only affects adults, but at any given time 10 to 15 percent of teens and young adults are depressed (Moreh and O’Lawrence 2).

Depression is a very common disease that will affect a large percentage of the population at some point during their life span. At least 10% of all people will suffer from a major depressive disorder, while even a larger percentage will suffer from some type of mild depression. It is a serious disease that has been linked to other physical and mental illnesses. It has also been a cause of death in numerous cases due to suicide and heart disease. The most disturbing fact about depression is that it so often goes untreated although it is a very treatable illness. Knowledge is the key to correcting this problem. The public very much so needs to be educated on the illness itself. Knowing the causes of depression

Mental illnesses have been recognized and acknowledged for thousands of years, but the way they had once been treated and handled differ from the way they are dealt with today. There was a point in time where all mental illnesses were thought of as one and they were treated in a similar way. Many theories were associated with the cause of these mental disorders and many of them today are deemed as obnoxious.

Depression has been a household name for several decades now affecting around 350 million people of all ages (World Health Organization, 2015). Depression is characterized by feelings of severe despondency,

Mental illnesses are some of the most misunderstand afflictions in today’s society. Too many people think of mental illness as a “weakness.” Nothing could be further from the truth. These are true illnesses and brain diseases (www.hcpc.uth.tmc). Mental illnesses are illnesses that affect the way a person thinks, acts, and feels. Like most illnesses, they

Introduction: Applying humans into classifications or categories can be controversial since different perspectives cloud one’s judgment. In relation to mental illness, it is not a specific “thing” a human is. A person cannot be classified as their condition alone. Mental illness is defined as a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. It is derived from a disability their brain has been affected by.

It is commonly identified that mental illness influences a substantial percentage of the population but all at the same time it is difficult to clarify the precise number. There is a tremendously variety of mental illnesses that is categorize in the mental health conditions. It is very important to understand the mental illness and the treatment that is need for the individual. Mental illnesses are lapses in the thinking process which can be brought on many of circumstances. For example, stress in the work place, marriage and family issues, and personal tragedy are just a few that contribute to mental illness. Many communities are limited to the access to mental health services due to lack of financial, lack of insurance, and public or psychological

.Significant advancement in the obtaining of knowledge about mental illnesses has greatly improved doctors’ abilities to make sure they are diagnosing the correct disease as well as their ability to come up with treatment options varying from person-to-person rather than treatments that follow the “one type fits all” concept. This new knowledge has led people to believe that these disorders are not resulting from a sin but instead are due to physiological and environmental problems. These developments led to better lives for individuals struggling with various diseases, and may result in a cure, as society hopes. Thus, as the world is starting to learn more about mental illness, it has allowed us to gain a greater picture on why mental illnesses

When people think of the many health issues that plague our corner of the world they usually focus on the more physical problems such as cancer, high blood pressure, and the deadly heart disease. However, the population living with mental illness is growing and becoming more visible; even celebrities and government officials are afflicted. The list of mental illnesses goes on and on, but some of the more common are anxiety disorders, addiction, bipolar disorder, Dysthymia, and Major Depressive Disorder.

The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about “because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated” (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). “About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). “Many of these illnesses begin in childhood or adolescence, with the most common problems being anxiety disorder, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance abuse disorders” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about how mental illness is a social problem and I have been interested in learning more about mental illnesses and how to help people with mental disorders.

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.

Sadness is how the human being reacts to the loss of a loved one, the struggles of life, the disappointments, and the frustrations. Although it is a normal feeling in all these situations, there is a broad difference between being sad and being depressed. Unlike normal feelings of sadness, depression overwhelms a person, last a long time, and interferes with his or her day-to-day life. According to the World Health Organization in 2010, depression was reported as the most common mental disorder; it affects 120 million people globally and is among the leading causes of disability. The person that suffers from depression has to deal with being misunderstood and under-diagnosed on a daily basis, which leaves the patient with physical,