Andrea Yates Mental Illness

Mental Illness There are several forms of illnesses and they come in many forms, both physically and psychologically. There are some that may think that a mental illness isn’t an illness at all because it’s not visible to the naked eye, although, I believe that it is indeed a terminal illness that is more common than one may think. A mental illness is a variation of uncontrollable behaviors where the individual cannot differentiate fantasy with reality in terms then affects their overall thought mentality. It comes in various forms and it depends on one’s perspective on whether one is deemed mentally unstable. What exactly classifies someone as mentally ill is highly debatable. It could be caused by traumatic incidents, psychological damage to the brain, or any other emotional factor
that has impacted that individual. Although, it is not proven scientifically, there is supportive evidence to back up this condition. For example, the individual’s symptoms. Common symptoms of a mental illness include depression, anxiety, and change in mood swings. These symptoms are also quite common amongst themselves, therefore, if one is diagnosed with any of these disorders, it does not label that person ill. The actions committed by the individual defines their mentality and how one overcomes their obstacles. Even though there are several cases of one acting out due to their mentality, in the legal system, it’s a case that is often pleaded.
When an individual commits a diminishing crime with little to no motivation, there are psychiatrists appointed to the suspect’s case to review their mentality throughout their lifetime in order to detect any instability in their emotions that could have effected their mentality during the crime. In the Andrea Yates case, through careful research, it showed that she had experienced severe depression during the pregnancies of her fourth child. There she was treated and regained her stability, although, after experiencing the same symptoms when her last child was born, she was deemed mentally ill. In this case, she was considered mentally ill and sentenced to a psych ward, even with several faults in her story. One’s mentality is a sensitive case and it is determined by perspective on what exactly someone considers ill so there is no exact proof to someone being insane other than their given symptoms. That brings us back to the argument on whether one should be able to plead insanity. In my opinion, I believe that it should be an option with
regulations.
There are hundreds of cases that get released due to the suspect pleading a mental illness and there are times where the plea is false. In order to prevent the system from being rigged in any form of fashion, requirements should be placed. Some requirements would be that the suspect be admitted to a psychiatric hospital or a contained facility for a period of time in order to have their mentality closely monitored. This could help confirm their current state of mind along with their pre-sentencing mental state. It is not for certain that it will conclude each case given but it could most likely lower the percentage of false plea deals.
Having a mental illness is considered more of a metaphor rather than a terminal issue, however, they have some of the same affects mentally as a physical illness would. That being stated, it boils down to the real question. Is mental illness really a thing? With the supporting evidence, I believe it is. Although, to someone else, it’s only a metaphor to label someone as less than. Overall, it depends on each individual’s perspective.