Mental Disorders In John Steinbeck's Ben Behind His Voices

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In Ben behind his Voices, the author tells the story of his son, Ben, a twenty-eight-year-old with Schizophrenia: one of the major disorders that are questioned because of the idea of talking to spirits. These deficits, such as Schizophrenia, are placed on a platform of negative stigmas; many aspects of mental disorders are misunderstood to the point where there are doubts and fear. Often times, we tend to prejudge and label them as 'abnormal' for their skeptical behavior, but making these allegations about mental illnesses with little-to-no basic knowledge is ignorant. Additionally, many people who fetishize mental disorders also do not comprehend the importance of setting boundaries—especially socially. For example, I, as a person who is …show more content…

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 …show more content…

I have only seen two anxiety attacks and a few incidents of her bi-polar symptoms, and at that time I did not understand her behavior, but I understood something was wrong. I thought to myself that she may be having a rough day, or that she is physically sick, but the idea of a mental sickness never occurred to me. Confusion and frustration took over me; accepting a mentally-ill loved one is extremely challenging, even as a friend. Sometimes, I thought that she may be faking it, or she just said she had these mental disorders for

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