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People understanding mental illness essay
People understanding mental illness essay
Understanding mental illness essay
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With every great story, comes an underlying or obvious intent from the author. Neal Shusterman wrote Challenger Deep to inform the audience of the challenges of mental illness, the struggles of helping someone who has a mental illness, and what to do to help someone who has a mental illness. Shusterman writes the book from a second hand point of view, especially because his brother has a mental illness. He learns a lot from his brother, especially that “ mental illness doesn't go away entirely” and that it sticks with him for a lifetime (Schusterman Authors Note). This is important to discuss because the people who do not have a mental illness will never really know what it is like to have one, so it is important that they inform themselves.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman is a novel about a school aged boy named Caden who becomes afflicted by mental illness. Caden is a smart kid and a very good student when he suddenly begins to do poorly on tests, becomes distant, and starts making odd comments. Instead of perceiving normal reality, he sees life in a metaphorical dream world where he is on a ship with many strange characters. His parents get him help in a mental hospital where he struggles but eventually recovers from his illness. The author uses Caden’s story and literary devices such as rhyming, metaphors, and personification to communicate what it is like to struggle through mental illness. Going through mental illness is like going through a parallel but
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.
The Day the Voices Stopped is a “Memoir of Madness and Hope,” written by Ken Steele (Steele & Berman, 2001, p. 1). As a reader, my experience of this book was like a rollercoaster and I found myself very emotionally invested. When terrible things happened to Ken, I truly felt sick to my stomach while reading them; but when good things happened, I also felt like there was still hope left. Ken Steele’s memoir described how stigma is extremely prevalent in mental illness and individuals are forced to overcome massive obstacles in their lives.
Randye Kaye had trouble 'fixing' her son because of incorrect diagnoses and inefficient procedures. Along with his mother, sister, and friends, I became disappointed how unsuccessful his treatments were, and I also became eager for Ben's mother to find something that actually worked. I thought to myself: "why can't you just get better?" This became an engraved thought in my head as Kaye began to deny and question Ben’s mental health. I noticed that when Kay refused to accept Ben’s Schizophrenia, and continued to search for counter-solutions, became an Achilles heel to the
In Paul Toughmay’s “Who Gets to Graduate,” he follows a young first year college student, Vanessa Brewer, explaining her doubts, fears, and emotions while starting her college journey. As a student, at the University of Texas Brewer feels small and as if she doesn’t belong. Seeking advice from her family she calls her mom but after their conversation Brewer feels even more discouraged. Similar to Brewer I have had extreme emotions, doubts, and fears my freshman year in college.
However, I picked myself up and by the help of others, I promised myself that I will overcome this illness and become the successful person I want to be. I am not going to ignore my problem but I am gonna fight it, as in the story from Into Thin Air stated the author, “I sat down to marshall my energy” (Krakauer 224). And that exactly what I did.Even if i did miss days, I still managed to pass all my classes i wasn't going to give up that easy. Some of the sacrifices i've made was to cut off some time of watching television, hanging out late at night with my family. Making sacrifices is a huge step to receiving what it is a person really wants and it is also a huge step of growing up. I am ready to become an adult in this world and i won't try to be successful i will be successful. “ I want to get this thing done and out of my life…” (Krakauer 226). I use this example from the story because it's exactly how i feel about this condition, I want to overcome
Literature is the vehicle of society. Since the dawn of language, the written word has been humanity’s greatest tool, and its greatest weapon. Throughout history, the greatest literary minds are those capable of eliciting emotion and asking the questions that demand answers. When scholars think of works with ‘literary merit,’ they call upon the stories that have stood the test of time. These works challenge the widely accepted norms of their respective time periods in a way that sets them apart from their contemporaries. In this way, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick is a novel deserving of solid literary recognition. Quick’s story tackles the pervasive issue of mental illness in America, and challenges the reader to look through the lens of a victim of a serious medical condition. Rarely does a novel effectively refute commonly accepted stereotypes and assumptions as The Silver Linings Playbook does. The story, and subsequent message of hope from Pat Peoples, the main character, is one that transcends social and literary boundaries. Clever rhetorical techniques and devices only exemplify the central theme of optimism, while also creating a perspective that forces the reader to think differently. Not all stories have the endings we may expect or wish for ourselves. However, this novel calls us to seek something greater than ourselves and face our problems head on. This advice is universal and applicable in any era or situation. By the traditional definition, The Silver Linings Playbook has enough literary excellence and emotional value to warrant considerable literary merit.
It tells the story of a person, family and community in which individuals suffer from mental disorders much the same way as people do in the real world. Not only did I find this movie quite accurate concerning mental illness but I also established some important messages concerning mental illness in today’s society. The film takes into account that mental illness is a part of society and overall has a positive outlook on it. Their illnesses don 't define their identities nor are they even the main point of the story. In coming together, the characters find the mutual support that enables them to approach their struggles and redirect their lives in a more positive direction. To some degree, this film addresses stigma and the fact that persons with mental illness should be allowed to participate in society over being kept in a hospital, in other words, it gives
“Experiences of young adults, having a parent with a mental illness” as the topic suggests deals majorly with the experiences that these adults had as children which in turn helped them pave their adult life.
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.
...er. Using this knowledge of behaviors that often occur among people with a Bipolar Disorder, we can tell the story of her struggle with a mental illness, which at the time was known but could not be treated. Telling her story about the influence of her Bipolar Disorder had on her accomplishments and failures is captivating and reveals a life and death that is almost comprehensible.
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.
Although it is known now that mental illness has to do with the human mind and the makeup of one’s brain, until recently, the mentally ill were seen as incurable subhuman creatures. Porter contends that:
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
Psychiatry has been a science and study, of and for, the treatment of mental illness. Since the 1900s, a cultural and social stigma has solidified the fear of men and women who have been touched by the unpleasant management of the treatment of those with these illnesses. The way we teach the individuals how to cope with and care for the loved ones that have a mental illness, seems to have fallen short of the way we show those how to care for loved ones with diabetes or heart disease. The average person’s response when they are frightened by something in the twenty-first century is that all answers can now be found on the world wide web. Unfortunately, the web can be a source of misinformation, miscommunication, and all sorts of ludicrous opinions