I feel that one of the most stigmatized aspects of aging includes the way our skin ages. A lot of people feel old when they start to notice wrinkles. I can't tell you how many commercials I've seen for the next amazing anti-aging cream. Their is an industry dedicated to making your skin appear younger; botox injections, creams, oils, supplements, all of these things are in business to make money by making people feel that they need to keep their skin looking younger. Granted, everybody does want to look younger and feel they way they felt years ago, but aging is also a beautiful experience that comes with years of happiness. I read a story once on Facebook about a wife that did an intimate photo shoot as an anniversary gift to her husband. She asked her …show more content…
When I was younger I spent days crying that I didn't score high enough, nights in hot baths soothing my sore muscles, hours of icing my body. I aged my body so far beyond its years... For a long time I was bitter with myself and my mom for my years as a gymnast, why would she let me do something so agonizing and why did I let myself feel so awful and beat down? But, now I look back with a heavy heart, it ended so quickly, and I wish I could go back. I am thankful for the hours that taught me dedication and to take pride in my accomplishments. I am grateful for the fact that I was able to learn mental resilience at such a young age, gymnastics is truly a head game. I gained a second family through my team from all the weekends spent on the road and the nights spent at the gym. I type this with tears in my eyes because I cannot explain it, I would never put my child in gymnastics but at the same time I was given so many gifts from the sport, it's a feeling I can't describe. I am grateful. Therefore I can be happy. I am happy... I was given an opportunity many children and humans can't have. It was a long and precious time of my
When an individual unintentionally enters a room full of an unfamiliar crowd, he or she is bound to be embarrassed, but also have an apprehensive sensation of how others in that room will distinguish them. A situation like that establishes a moment in which that person realizes that all eyes are gaping at that individual. Just when that person could consider forgetting what just happened, unfortunately judgments start circulating among the unfamiliar crowd. As most people know, judgments are based off of a person’s appearance, race, religion, or a quality that doesn’t appeal to the person analyzing them. Obviously, judging is something that takes place whether someone likes it or not, but there are certain limits to it that many cross by adding
Majority of individuals with severe mental health disorder are faced with double challenges. On one hand, they battle with the signs, symptoms, mark and defects associated with the disease. On the other hand, they are faced with stigma, stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice as a result of mental health misconception. Hence, individuals with mental health diseases are deprived quality life opportunities such as good job, stable income, and relationships (Corrigan et al, 2000). There are basically two types of stigma, namely; public and self-stigma. Public stigma as to do with how the general population responds to individuals with mental health illness. While self-stigma is the preconceived notion which mental health patients use against themselves (Corrigan et al, 2000). Evidence show that magnanimous percentage of United State citizens and several European countries all indulge in mental health stigmatization (Phelan et al, 2000; Madianos et 1987). Furthermore, Effective strategies to reduce public stigma are classified in three processes; protest, education and contact (Corrigan & Penn, 1999). Studies show that engaging in mental health education programs led to
Mental illness can be described as a behavioral or mental pattern that may cause suffering or a poor ability to function in life. Social stigma plays a vital role in this disease as it can make mental health problems worse, as well as making it harder for the individual to recover; resulting in a person not seeking the help that they need. There are many structural levels of mental health such as the labelling, discrimination, emotional and stereotypical aspects of a person's mental illness condition. Modern day anti-stigma studies have shown that biogenetic and psychosocial methods have aided in the ultimate goal of properly treating mental illnesses. Mental illness has been associated with biogenetic methods/treatments as a means of finding
Attitudes are the foundation of quality of care for older adults. Among health care professionals, discrimination and stereotypical behaviors are very prevalent, even though more often than not these individuals do not realize their actions are ageist. “Ageism hinders people from seeing the potential of aging, anticipation their own aging, and being responsive to the needs of older people” (McGuire, Klein & Shu-Li, 2008, p. 12). Attitudes are directly correlated with how individuals age and whether individuals stay health and live longer (McGuire, Klein & Shu-Li, 2008, p. 12). The care that older adults receive from healthcare professionals is directly influenced by that provider’s attitude about growing older. All too often, health care providers rely on a patient’s chronological age rather than their functional age when determining their needs and what interventions are prescribed. Another issue lies in providers viewing the complaints of older patients as a part of “normal aging”, therefore potentially missing life-threatening problems that may have been easily resolved. “Age is only appropriate in health treatment as a secondary factor in making medical decisions, and it should not be used as a stand-alone factor” (Nolan, 2011, p. 334).
From this interview I have learned a lot about my athletic friend, Franchesca. I learned a lot about the sport of gymnastics and the complexities of it. Her life is so foreign from mine. I live in the small town of Pillager, Minnesota, while she lives in a big city and travels the county to compete with her team. Our lifestyles are completely different and this interview has really opened my eyes up to what her life is really compacted with.
When I was eleven years old I made a decision that changed my life forever. Ever since I was three years old I did gymnastics and I loved it. My dream was to become really good and win the olympics and become a world medalist. But this dream quickly was changed. After my eleventh birthday, I was starting to realize I didn 't want to do gymnastics anymore. I told my mom and she was heartbroken but let me do what I wanted, so I quit. Once I quit I decided I wanted to try something else, cheerleading. My mom was thrilled and found a allstar gym in sumner called React.. She emailed the coach but I already missed tryouts. The coach said I could come to practice and see if they needed me and if I would like it. I instantly fell in love and wanted to join. The coach liked me and loved that I could tumble. I made the team that night and my life hasn 't been the same since.
Women who are older tend to be ignored or portrayed as very undesirable, not feminine looking and sometimes the media goes to the extremes by subliminally telling women not to age. The men are portrayed as very attractive as they age, and heights of the achievements in life are emphasized. These biases are really unfair especially to ageing women but because the media has made it a stigma whereby the minds of the public are molded and conditioned to think that way. The media shows the public by giving them the bias that ageing men are more acceptable than aging women. Women and men are similarly not the same on the media advertisement. Therefore, in real life ageing women seem to be getting the negative impacts with their looks when it comes to aging, whereas, in real sense, aging is inevitable and is something that everyone will experience at some point in their
According to DeBrew, author of “Can being ageist harm your older adult patients?” stereotypes and discrimination are evident in various aspects of patient care. “Ageism [is] defined as stereotyping or discrimination aimed at older adults and a lack of knowledge about normal changes of aging and presentation of illness in older adults (. . .)” (DeBrew, 2015). DeBrew (2015) states, “research findings suggest that ageism is common in healthcare” (DeBrew, 2015). Ageism is not only an issue in the healthcare setting, but also among older adults as well as their families. When ageism is present in the healthcare setting it poses
Independence is a socially constructed concept within a capitalistic patriarchal society that serves to marginalize and oppress the elderly members of the society. Why do many women of the elderly population within the United States live alone? What is it about our society that has encouraged the elderly population to live alone and without the vital familial support that is so often necessary for people who are reaching their golden years? Elderly people in the United States are one of the most vulnerable groups of people who have traditionally been marginalized. They are viewed as weak individuals because they are no longer able to physically work for pay. Many of them choose to live alone yet suffer in isolation because of the lie they have been sold. According to the symbolic interactionist theory, if independence is the ultimate reward for a lifetime of achievement, surely remaining independent and alone is preferable to living with loved ones. The elderly person does not want his or her social networks to believe the elderly person is weak. Isolation is preferable to dependency and being a burden upon another individual or family.
305). Society is constantly bombarded by messages informing us about how to reduce the signs of aging, instead of accepting the natural process (Germov, 2014, p. 305). These beliefs have lead to ageism being very common in society. Ageism is best defined as the negative attitudes, which are associated with the aging process (Novak, 2006, p. 3). Ageism involves an individual or group being stereotyped and experiencing discrimination due to their biological age (Novak, 2006, p. 3). This discrimination can be direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation or harassment (Johnson, 2013, p. 27). Unlike other individuals and groups who are stereotyped and discriminated against, those who are making these comments will one day themselves be of old
People with a mental illness are often feared and rejected by society. This occurs because of the stigma of mental illness. The stigma of mental illness causes the perception of individuals with mental illnesses to be viewed as being dangerous and insane. They are viewed and treated in a negative way. They are almost seen as being less of a human. The stigma affects the individual with a mental illness in such a cruel way. The individual cannot even seek help without the fear of being stigmatized by their loved ones or the general public. The stigma even leads to some individuals developing self-stigma. This means having a negative perception of one’s self, such as viewing one’s self as being dangerous. The worst part is that the effects of
Stigma is socially constructed and displayed through exclusion, blame, or devaluation of an individual or a group of individuals because of a negative social judgment towards these individual(s) (Cockerham 2014). Stigma comes in several forms, whether that be the stigmatization of one’s physical irregularities or mental irregularities. Whereas, Cockerham (2014) defines discrimination as when an individual or group of individuals unfairly and prejudicially behave towards certain forms of human-beings or objects. Discrimination can also take on many forms. People can discriminate against practically anything, but some of the most common forms are discrimination against one’s age, gender, sex, race, physical illness, and, of course, mental illness.
The look that everyone strives for is youthful and attractive. In the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Benjamin was born with wrinkles, looking like an eighty-year-old man. Many people did not find him attractive but he could do nothing about it. He knew he was growing up in reverse. As he grew “young”, his wrinkles started to disappear, he could walk better, his gray hair was turning into a more brownish color. Everything you would think about aging, he was going through it in reverse. What was happening to him was the complete opposite of how people usually age. Once people start to hit their middle aged years, signs of aging will visually start to appear such as a few gray hairs, wrinkles. Many people will never forget the day they see their first gray hair or wrinkle (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2015). My sister just turned thirty a few months ago and for most people that is a huge milestone in their lives. Prior to her birthday, she noticed one strand of gray hair, she showed me and I could not see it but she definitely did. It is things like this that make aging the worst thing. Getting gray hair is natural, but today’s society says different. Gray hair is bad, wrinkles are not okay. You do not get Botox? You want to have wrinkles than? There is so much pressure on everyone to stay young and continue to have that youthful look when they
Age discrimination continues to be a problem for both men and women that are over the age of 40 in the workforce. In year 1967, the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act ADEA was passed to prohibit discrimination against workers over age 40 and older. Another law in the year 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, or national origin. However there are still age discrimination and it seems to be more especially for older women more than older men. The Federal and the state should implement more regulations to protect workers' rights in all age groups, both in the younger and older generation including their race and gender.
I am forever grateful for the lessons I learnt, the people I met, the experience I gained and I now know what true love is. Gymnastics has made me into the person I am today. When something scares me I know how to conquer my fears, I know how to set goals, to deal with disappointment and I will always keep the leotards and tracksuits as memorabilia of a very special time in my life. I am not a quitter, I have left a