The article I chose to read on the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill was entitled: “Victimization of the Mentally Ill: An Unintended Consequence of Deinstitutionalization”. According to this article, one issue the deinstitutionalization brought about that affected communities was the increased number of displaced, homeless, mentally ill patients. Because so many of these patients are left untreated, they are unable to cope in a normal society, often causing these deinstitutionalized patients to become part of the legal system. These misunderstood individuals often end up in the prison system, not receiving the assistance they require and eating up state funding.…
Moviegoers unknowingly pay for the misinformation of mental illness. Directors receive praise and wealth for their help in creating stigmas. The movie, Blood Brothers, received a Tony in 1992. The plot is about a depressed man who goes insane and plans on killing his brother for revenge. Much of the background music says “madman”. The unpredictability of the mentally ill is seen as an immense issue. The stereotype is that people with mental illness are violent and become mad men at the flip of a switch (Tarakhovsky, 2016). Even the appearance of mentally ill patients receive the stereotype of being unhygienic, skinny, and almost unhuman like. During the creation of Academy Awarding winning, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, producers wanted…
The article I choose was “How Mental Illness is Misrepresented in the Media” Written By Kirstin Fawcett. It says how TV shows, video games, movies, and comics wronging portrayal disorders such as bipolar, schizophrenia and depression. They usually show the mental illness stereotypical or the negative. The mentally ill are commonly described as incompetent, dangerous, slovenly and others kind stereotypes. Some Tv shows and movie make an effort to portray a more realistic characterization of people with mental illness. Some examples are “Homeland” where bipolar disorder is shown and “A beautiful Mind” where schizophrenia is shown, this TV show and movie displays the reality of this two disorder and not the typical stereotype. Some inaccurate…
If given the opportunity to correct a mistake from my past, appreciating my curves in my childhood is the first slip up that comes to my mind. Rejecting my wide hips and thick thighs,I longed to have a slender figure not unlike my friends. Ultimately, I purchased one of Shaun T’s workout systems called “Insanity” in the seventh grade. Despite the obvious signs of exhaustion that my body exhibited, I kept pushing myself to endure three workouts a day. I set intangible goals for myself such as losing ten pounds a week. After three and a half months of consistently following Shaun T’s program, I was found heavily wheezing in my sleep during my mother’s nightly rounds to check on my siblings and I. Soon after, I began to feel claustrophobic, as…
From a potential counselor perspective, I am not sure if there is a positive ethical value in labeling individuals who deal with mental disorders. In my opinion, when an individual is labeled with a mental disorder, that person will most likely define themselves to that specific disorder(s). Unfortunately, society will also define them in this manner as well and increase the chances of social rejection due to their “label” of mental illness. It would be ideal if society could focus on a person’s virtues, abilities, and strengths, rather than the “branding”; which, ultimately leads to discrimination. Even when a person has overcome their struggling…
In my lifetime,I was struggling with depression and I didn’t have very many people to talk to about it,it all started in junior high up until now.I felt like nobody liked me or just simply didn’t like me in general but that’s not the only reason I also think negative all the time.Over time I just have to learn that life is hard and I may fall down but I just have to pick myself back up.My life hasn’t always been easy I don’t really talk to many people like I use to I don’t even go out of the house anymore other than school I constantly isolate myself in my room and never come out I just trap myself in there I don’t even talk to my parents really because of this.I eventually started overcoming it I mean I still don’t talk to many people but…
According to the article by Jim Mann, from the Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice, (2012) he states how the involvement in the criminal justice system with mentally ill offenders was profoundly affected by the decision which resulted in large numbers of mental hospital patients returning to the community during the mid-1970s. The article states that after an examination of the characteristics of mental health courts was conducted, the consensus results indicated that with the release of mental health patients into a community came the increase in crime rates.…
What is a psychiatric disorder? When you ask many people what a psychiatric disorder is, the first thing they associate it with is mental hospitals, psychopaths, and crazy, dysfunctional people. But in all honesty, the only people who understand what psychiatric patients are dealing with are doctors, psychologist, and the family members that have to interact with these patients on a daily basis. Even in some cases, the patient themselves are not totally aware of what is happening to them psychologically. Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder are two psychiatric disorders that I personally learned to cope with.…
Mental illness is not a topic to be taken lightly or to turn a blind eye. We should not judge others based on issues, but on their strength of facing their demons…
Being left to fight alone is devastating for anyone suffering from any form of mental illness. If a person you know seems to be struggling then reach out and connect with them. I can guarantee that showing that you care will make a huge difference and possibly save that person’s life. When you find yourself in a position to help someone, feel blessed because God is answering that person’s prayer through you. It can something as simple as the mixed CD I made for Bob to listen in his taxi, it just shows him that he is loved and that someone still cares about him.…
On 11/09/15, I was going to my office in a regular day. I approach the building and I see bunch of police cars, two ambulances and obviously police officers. It was Monday first day of the week, and you do not want to start your day with filling out incident reports. I approach to the officers and introduce myself in order to learn what was going on?…
Often time mental illness is depicted as a “crazy”, irate person and not someone who could still sit down and hold a sensible conversation. So my approach would be to talk more and educate and be less quick to diagnose. When it comes to diagnosis you have to know your patient's cultural background so that you can figure out the best way you can help and how accepting they will be to the…
There are many debates on whether a mentally ill person who commits a crime should be criminally charged. Some people believe people with mental illnesses should be hospitalized and receive treatment, then be discharged once they are stable. Others believe having mentally ill people who have committed crimes being discharged after receiving treatment is a danger to their safety. I believe that decision depends on the person’s mental illness and their crime. But most of the time the mentally ill know right from wrong and need to be criminally charged like everyone else. Therefore, I think that yes, people with mental illnesses should be criminally charged.…
As a victim of the debilitating mental illness clinical depression, I have a first hand knowledge of the terrible stigma attached to seeking medical help for this and similar problems. When the diagnosis was made, I told no one that I was seeing a psychologist. I feared what people would think of me and how they would react to one of their friends seeing a "shrink". Because mental illnesses are not well known and even less well understood, people tend to fear them. People who may be afflicted with mental illnesses often shy away from treatment because they fear that they will be labeled "crazy" or sent to an institution. I think that the stigma attached to mental health care could be easily lifted if regular psychiatric examinations were instituted, much the same as regular physicals. As people are exposed to the illnesses and begin to understand their origins and ways to help, this fear of people afflicted with the diseases should shrink (ha ha) and eventually disappear.…
My cousin Sandra had been in an abusive relationship with her husband for years; she had recently divorced her husband because of the abuse. He would continue to call her, threaten her, and telling her no one else would have her. She had gotten several restraining orders against him and reported all of his threatening phone calls to the police, but for some reason this was still not enough.…