Summary Of The Myth Of Mental Illness By Thomas Szaz

Thomas Szaz’s work, The Myth of Mental Illness, raises many questions as to what constitutes mental health and at what point do we label something as abnormal. As I read the article, the argument of homosexuality came to mind as it was once considered a mental illness prior to the 1970s. Szaz’s argument that mental illness may be a product of our environments and values also mirrors that of addiction: is addiction a disease, a choice, or a disease of choice? The ethical and social mores that individuals subscribe to may lead to varying views on the status of addiction and homosexuality as mental illnesses. Although Szaz’s argument is both plausible and strong, I do believe that mental illness exists and the denial of its existence could also be seen as the use of ethical norms to ignore what we find to be unpleasant or villainize those affected by mental health, rather than give them the validation and help that they need. Yes, mental illness can be an illness of the struggles of life, but it can also be more, and the acknowledgement of that can make way for healing or at least coping.
This is especially necessary as each individual is essentially their own truth or phenomenon. However, the progressive movements that led to the creation of social work constricted the client-social worker relationship in different ways. This view helped to reshape the original view of social work that limited the client-centered approach of viewing and meeting the client where they are. The new view helped shape the helping relationship and starting what seems to me to be the generalist intervention model: from the beginning of the helping process to the termination of the helping