societys percetion of mental ill health?

Question

Past and present and how this affects the suffering individual

Answer 1

i worked in a psychiatric hospital in the late 1960. our hospital had 2,300 people in it when i started. society did not want the mentally ill living in the community. we had to fight with service agencies, and the governments, to get funding and housing for these people. our belief was with proper finances, follow up, and support, most people could live in the community. it was also believed that living in the community was a much better choice than spending the rest of their lives in institutions. people were still in the dark, and were ashamed of mental illness. the hospital today, has about 400 people in it. all the people that were discharged were much happier living in the community. today there are better housing, medications, self help in the community and on the Internet. the one thing that has not changed is that their is still no cure for a major mental illness. individual today are still suffering the stigma attached to mental illness. it is better , but still more education,. and research has to be done. hope this helps your question

Answer 2

The answers you have gotten so far are so good, I have little to add.

In my case, I never used to tell people about it because I was so afraid of what they would think, I dreaded the "what do you do for a living" question. It wasn't meant to be nosy, but for me, it's like, well, i don't have a job. Hmm, then they are wondering where i get any income, it was awful. There's the double whammy of having a mental illness and being disabled (not having a job) both no-nos in america.

There is the issue of an invisible disability too, I worry about people thinking things about me that I don't have a job. I SEEM to be competent, and in fact i am extremely competent. But I constantly break down so I can't hold down a job and have trouble even doing my 10 hour a week volunteer thing. I'm sure there are plenty of people thinking I am cheating the system.

So I have to say that I am ashamed of myself. I get cognitive-behavioral therapy and all that, and remind myself that it isn't my fault, but I am still ashamed. The fact that there are those who want to shame me makes it worse (even tho intellectually I think that they are ignorant or jerks).

Also, I help run a consumer drop in center, a socializing place for people with mental illness, and there are people who don't come because they are afraid someone they know will see them going into the building.

Answer 3

The following are my personal views of society's perception and the impact it has had on my family. I come from a family were Bipolar disorder runs rampant. My grandmother was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when she was 16. Two of her sisters as well as her mother all suffered the illness. We have had 2 suicides, an uncle and cousin, and often talk about society's perception and how it keeps people with mental illness from seeking help or getting help. I have a cousin in Florida who is Schizophrenic, and a very close cousin who was diagnosed with a mixture of bipolar and shizophrenia.

Social workers told his dad and stepmom that if he hurts one of his younger brothers or sisters that the state could take their children away. Here we have an 18 year old young man that can't hold down a job, can't live on his own, and yet the state is recommending he not live with his parents because he could be a danger as a result of his illness. He lived in a halfway house for a few months, but some were using drugs and it was not a good environment for him. He then lived with his mom, but she felt he did not have an illness and didn't let him take his meds. She also hid it from her boyfriend. How's that for stigma?? His own mother didn't want to believe it, he's now in the hospital and she has said he cannot live with her. He has been denied by SSI but does have medicaid. Though medicaid only allows him to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks. 2 weeks is usually not enough time to get their meds straightened out and get them out of the hallucination stage.

People with mental illness are usually not aware and family members who don't know the signs and symptoms may not recognize a problem. As a result many people with mental illness end up on the streets, using drugs, in prison, or worse off dead because the stigma associated with it and because the treatment options for those without insurance or an educated family are few and far between. When I personally started suffering from depression, I was terrified. I was terrified to see a doctor because I was afraid I'd be told I was suffering from a mental illness. Even though I come from a family that is well educated in mental illness it is still a scary thing because of the stigma and perception that those who are not educated still hold on to. Plus I have seen the struggles family members have had to go through to get help. My brother who we suspect also suffers from bipolar disorder will not seek treatment for much of the same reason. He has in so many words said "He does not want some shrink to tell him he's crazy."

All this being said, I do think we have come miles in the understanding of mental health, but there is still a negative stigma of those suffering from such illness. I think it has much to do with lack of education and hope that someday people with mental illness will not be so easily discarded by society.

Answer 4

you understand, that is a fantastic question. i'd assume this is because their is a stigma that psychological well being themes get in this u . s . because the mind is an organ that isn't any longer really understood via the final thousands. Behavioral themes look seen frequently as something it truly is "your fault" as apposed to being an ailment like heart affliction it truly is seen as no man or woman's fault. If a lady has psychological well being themes from being raped via her father even as she become youthful and those themes bring about her growing a prostitute or a porn actress then she is merely categorized as a hardship-loose tramp and all of us strikes on with out questioning to handle the underlying reason for the habit. although, if a guy smokes, binge drinks, and eats Mcdonald's cheese burgers for 40 years and then comes down with maximum cancers. Then for some reason this guy should be allowed each and each of the interest and study contained in the international. it style of feels to me that the former celebration on the basis is brought about via something that got here about antagonistic to someone's' will, even as the latter celebration is brought about via selection. yet we glance a lot nicer to the fellow who makes a foul selection. Now of route, the latter celebration of undesirable eating conduct and smoking likely stem from the way that man or woman become taught to stay with the help of their dad and mom and would extremely be seen a behavioral challenge on the middle of it besides, it merely appears that some behavioral themes are extra hardship-loose and known and have a tendency to get extra functional interest and study performed as a effect. I believe you on the point that psychological well being must be addressed very early and extra study must be performed so as that a number of those undesirable selections will be prevented. imagine if we were in a position to force down well being prices via introducing a pill that made people opt for to provide up smoking and substances up eating crap all day. that would save us funds contained in the destiny on maximum cancers remedies and diabetic remedies and make us all better off.

Answer 5

There really should be no stigma with mental illness. People who are depressed, anxious or have any kind of phobia are not crazy. however this fear can hinder peoples recovery. Instead of thinking of it as mental, think more emotional.

Answer 6

There's loads of info about how stigma affects recovery and there are loads of campaigns about at the mo designed to'stamp out sigma'. If you want official reports try looking at:

http://www.sesami.org.uk/stigmascoping_summary.pdf

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/campaigns/changingminds.aspx

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/campaigns/social_policy/evidence_reports/er_employment/out-of-the-picture

Happy reading!!