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Mental illness diagnosis is becoming more prevalent. Mental illness is being overlooked in today’s society. Stephen King (King, pp. 123-124)is a humorous man who claims, everyone has a mental illness, everyone does things to keep their sanity, and everyone tells sick jokes. These claims are Stephen King’s beliefs that everyone has a mental illness. King uses various examples to prove that mental illness exists in everyone. Stephen King believes everyone has a mental illness. His goal in his essay was to prove to his audience that, everyone has some kind of a mental illness, its just that some hide their illness better than others. Szasz, Thomas S. (2016) who wrote “The myth of mental illness” claims that mental illness does not exist which disagrees with King’s claim in his journal abstract. He counter claims that mental illness is nothing but a myth. Mental …show more content…
King disclosed that people watch horror movies to maintain sanity in everyday life. Karen Lasser,(2000) wrote an article based on mental illness and smoking, which compared and contrasted statistics, of which these doctors had preformed. Their goal was to come to a conclusion on whether smoking was a sign of mental illness. After preforming their tests the outcome of their article is, “ persons with mental illness are about twice as likely to smoke as other persons but have substantial quit rates.” This shows that the validity of King’s claim is poor. People with mental illness maybe more likely to some but this does not prove that those who suffer from a mental illness smoke to keep their sanity. People may do some weird acts that are sometimes un explainable but this does not mean they do these act to maintain sanity. Smoking is not something that everyone does, there are many other practices that more people do which can be more generalized, such as telling
With all respect to the esteemed author and his colleague, this is a load of crap. Mental illnesses develop in relation to a variety of factors, including biochemical, environmental, and psychological. Placing all the blame on a method of entertainment makes no sense, akin to the fallacy that rock music causes cardiovascular difficulties. In addition, these statements center responsibility for such conditions on the individuals themselves, criticizing their intellectual capacities and communication abilities as well as media preferences. Such victim-blaming tactics clothed in the garb of spiritual criticism only serve to alienate the author to his either offended or wounded audience, while spreading a dangerous philosophy regarding mental
This was effective because by stating that “we’re all mentally ill” (King 414) right off the bat readers will be compelled to continue reading. He might have offended some readers by questioning their mental state but this is inconsequential because it is easier to change a reader’s feelings if they actually read the piece which is what his opening statement insures. His introduction commands attention and requires a strong logical argument to back up this claim. King also does this effectively. As a published writer King knows how to manipulate words and phrases to use in a way that fits his purposes. It was by this skill that he was able to normalize fears and horror movies to transition into his thesis. King gives three reasons for why it is such popular genre to watch, “to show that we can, that we are not afraid…” (414), “to re-establish our feelings of essential normality” (414), and “to have fun” (414). He normalized the phenomenon and logically explained each of these claims. Another effective part of his essay was to establish cause and effect. King illustrated what happens when we submit to our insanity or when we control our emotion by sharing an anecdote about children and the reinforcement they receive from parents and society. He even goes to explain which actions will elicits positive reinforcement and likewise which prompts negative
Forcing someone to take medication or be hospitalized against their will seems contrary to an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment, however, the issue becomes complicated when it involves individuals suffering from a mental illness. What should be done when a person has lost their grasp on reality, or if they are at a risk of harming themselves or others? Would that justify denying individuals the right to refuse treatment and issuing involuntary treatment? Numerous books and articles have been written which debates this issue and presents the recommendations of assorted experts.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in four American adults suffer from a mental disorder. This means that 57.7 out of 217.8 million people over the age of 18 are ill; never mind that mental illnesses are the leading cause of disability in Canada and the United States. Holden Caulfield, the controversial main character of J.D Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, spends much of the book wandering through the streets of New York City. Kicked out of boarding school for the umpteenth time, he does many odd things: he calls a prostitute, tries to befriend a taxi driver, drinks with middle aged women, and sneaks into his own house in the middle of the night. While many of these things seem outré, some may even go as far as to say that he is mentally disturbed. From a psychiatric standpoint, main character Holden Caulfield exhibits the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression), and psychosis throughout the infamous novel Catcher in the Rye.
After reading an essay, ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King, I was highly interested in King’s opinion about the necessity of reading and writing frequently in order to become a good writer. In King’s essay he talks about how he does not read to study and that he simply reads just to read; however, King does point out that though he is not reading to study there is still a learning process happening with everything he reads. “Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.” (King) Why does King have this opinion about books?
horror movies, King argues that “we are all mentally ill” (345). He expresses that we all
However, local and national news also produces negativity towards mental illness by “portraying people with mental illness as threats to themselves and to others” (Anaya 4). In the past two years, the news features stories such as a man who has schizophrenia, running on a shooting spree then killing himself; or a mother with depression who murders her children, then kills herself (Anaya 4). Anaya explains that television programs use mental illness as a headline to grab the attention of views and ultimately implies to respond with fear (5). Highlighting that mental illnesses are the reason for the evil in society, hurting those who suffer with mental illnesses. Therefore, the population begin to believe mental illness is bad, so do the people who suffer with mental
With the use of logos, ethos and pathos in unison he easily wins his argument persuading his audience to believe his thesis, convincing normal people they are mentally ill. Kings argument convinces his readers not only that mental illness lies within us all, but that without horror movies we wouldn’t have a way to fix our mental state. If sanity is being normal, and insanity is madness, then how is it that being normal is watching insanity
What many people don’t know about King is his how he was as a person, not a writer. People may think that he is a very violent and mysterious person, but Stephen King is not like that at all, said an ex-student of Kings. Arthur Norton said in an interview with King, “There is this genial childlike quality about King… He is an average guy.” King says in the same interview, “I am a very credulous person. I will believe what I am told.”
What symptoms classify a person to be diagnosed as sick? A cough, a sore throat, or maybe a fever. Often times when individuals refer to the word ‘sick’, they neglect to mention a common disorder, one which takes a tremendous amount of personal determination, courage and strength in order to overcome. Mental illness took the author, Joanne Greenberg, down a path complete with obstacles, forcing her to battle against schizophrenia, a chronic brain disorder resulting in delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration as well as a lack of motivation. This complex piece of literature was originally composed to fight against the prejudice accusations associated with mental illness, while providing the semi-autobiographical novelist
Mental illness is an increasing problem in America. Currently about 26.2% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder. A mental illness/disorder is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functions. Mental illness can affect humans of any age, race, gender and socioeconomic status. However the care that is needed to effectively cure and help the people affected by the illness is not equal for everyone here in American, especially for African Americans.
However, many National foundations and programs (National Alliance of Mental Illness, American Medical Association, America Psychiatric Association, and National Institute of Mental Health) reject such claims, especially the ones about how mental illness is a myth. A famous critic is Dr. Szasz who wrote The Myth of Mental Illness, written in 1961. One of his basic arguments argued against the existence of mental illness and claimed that mental illness is a myth (Poulsen). Szasz rejected the traditionally accepted medical model for comprehending human struggles or difficulties and he was known for his high disapproval of the model (Poulsen). Furthermore, Szasz saw widely-accepted medical manuals about mental disorders as incorrectly suggesting the presence of mental disease in people (Poulsen). However, his central view of mental illness is a myth has been dismissed by the medical community for a long time (Poulsen). Since mental illness has been verified as real by the mental health community, my argument is still valid. On a popular website, Dr. Cornwall has a similar opinion to Dr. Szasz’s in that Dr. Cornwall doesn’t believe in mental illness. Dr. Cornwall calls mental illness “madness” in which he refers to this madness as temporary and not genetic (Cornwall). Additionally, Dr. Cornwall’ evidence of his argument is only his not-detailed personal experiences and those of his
We all have cravings, be it for snacks or sweets, there is always something we desire. We crave horror in the same way. In Stephen King’s essay, “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” he argues that people need to watch horror films in order to release the negative emotions within us. King believes that people feel enjoyment while watching others be terrorized or killed in horror movies. King’s argument has elements that are both agreeable and disagreeable. On one hand he is acceptable when claiming we like the thrill and excitement that comes from watching horror movies; however, his views regarding that the fun comes from seeing others suffer cannot be agreed with because the human condition is not as immoral as he claims it to be.
Most people gather what they know about mental illnesses from television and film. Unfortunately these media portrayals are inaccurate and create stigma. They depict people suffering from mental illnesses as different, dangerous and laughable. Characters are often addicted to drugs or alcohol, are violent, dangerous, or out of control. Horror film characters like Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in the Shining, or Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs associate the typical 'psycho- killer' with people who suffer from a mental illness. But dramas and horror films are not the only film genres that create stigma. Comedies like What About Bob and many others not only stigmatize, they also make fun of mental illnesses and the people who suffer from them. This paper will discuss how the film Me, Myself & Irene is an inaccurate, offensive and stigmatizing portrayal of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. It also discusses what can be done to counteract the stigma created by these types of films.
Mental illness has always existed in society, but it is now becoming more acknowledged and subsequently treated. Especially in 19th and 20th century pieces of literature, mental illness is portrayed among characters, but is often not directly acknowledged as mental illness. Specifically Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf depict how mental illnesses differ among men and women and how it is generally stigmatized in society. In a patriarchal society, women are expected to be subordinate to men and emotionally collected enough to maintain a positive image, even though they are stereotyped to be more emotional to men. However, when women suffer from mental illness, men often utilize