...and Goffman argue that mental illness is a social construction. Discuss how this approach differs from the biomedical approach to mental illness. Mental illness has been well-defined severally by some sociologists, professionals in the medical field, politicians and other good academia. Mental illness can be define as ‘a state of one’s mind that affects the thinking, emotions and judgement to the extent that the individual need a medical attention for his/her personal safety and that of the society’. The definition of mental illness by other academia has been termed as behavioural and emotional disorder. They perceive this disorder as disease that affects the mind. In a particular society, mental illness is a behaviour which is classified as disturbed or abnormal and people found of that behaviour are branded deviant. Acceptable behaviour in one society can be unacceptable behaviour in other society. From the biomedical approach point of view, mental illness deals with the state of mind and is the duty of the trained professionals to diagnose patients and by the use drugs and surgery treat them in medical way in order to improve the patient mental disorder, living condition and poor self-care. This model places more emphasis on the causes of mental illness as biological so it was criticized thereby making the social condition play a significant role. ‘’There is the need to recognize both the outer and inner worlds of a person as well as the society’’ (Duggan et al, 2002)...
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...Mental illness is an important topic that is rarely spoken or taught in today’s society. About half of people in the world have a mental health disorder, yet most people don’t know what it really means to have a serious health problem. There are numerous theories on why these disorders happen; additionally, some disorders in the world are still a mystery to the science community and also millions of people share these personal experiences through writing. What is Mental Health and its comparison to Mental Illness Numerous people in today’s society have yet to fully understand what mental illness is; therefore, they really need to understand the meaning of the word. According to the article “What is Mental Illness,” mental health is foundation for thinking, communication, learning, self esteem, and it also plays a key role in close relationships. Sadly people with mental illness suffer with thinking skills, learning new things, expressing emotion, and it also causes problems in their social lives, but this does not mean that people with disorders can’t manage their lives on their own....
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...Schizophrenia is a fairly known mental illness that can affect how people think, feel, and behaves, some symptoms include: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior, and disordered thinking and speech patterns. In addition, there is another mental disorder that is commonly known is generalized anxiety disorder. This disorder is the excessive feelings of worry about common everyday life events that take place without reason. Some common topics that causes this worrying are family, money, and/or school. It’s symptoms including irritability, headaches, sweating, nausea, and etc. One issues that both of these mental disorders have in common is the role of stigma in society. In my opinion, the reason that society has stigmatized mental...
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...MENTAL ILLNESS IN CANADA Name: Institution: In terms of the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health, health denotes the physical, mental, psychological and social normalcy of an individual and not just the absence of disease (NIMH, 2004). From the definition that has been given, it is clear that, there is more to health than the physical attributes. Mental health is important just like physical health because no individual is considered healthy if their mental health is deranged even if they are normal physically. The mental aspect of an individual coordinates other body systems, and for this reason, every human being needs to be mentally fit. Mental illnesses have been around for centuries, and they continue affecting every citizen in Canada, just like in various parts of the world. There is growing interest by researchers on issues of mental health and how these have impacted on society. As it is an important health topic, researchers have done extensive research and now, there is diverse knowledge on health illnesses in Canada. This paper analyzes mental illnesses in the Canada by dwelling on the history of mental illnesses, statistics of mental illnesses and impact of mental illnesses on Canadian population and government as a whole in terms of managing the condition. Statistics Mental disorders are common conditions internationally, and this is the same in Canada. Estimates reveal that 26.2 million Canadians over 18 years suffer from Schizophrenia mental...
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...How does employee hidden mental illness manifest adversely in workplaces? An employee hidden mental illness has become the most prevalent illness found in western societies today. It has widely emerged within many workplace organisations and surprisingly remains largest among the medical and health sciences fields. According to De Lorenzo and Mirella (2013), hidden mental illnesses effect between 17% and 20% of employees in a given twelve month period. The most common hidden mental illnesses are depression and anxiety, depression effecting 4% and anxiety 14% of employees in a twelve month period. The socio-economic impact of mental illness within the workplace is frightening, the loss of productivity and costs have already caused major damage, and serious consequences for the future when depression and anxiety within the workplace increase. Mental illnesses within the workplace can be worsened if the employee has poor self-management of their illness, which includes inconsistent medication use, and social factors such as low social support, discussed by Munir, Yarker, Haslam, Long, Leka, Griffiths and Cox (2007). Mental illnesses are not treated like physical illnesses by society. They are pushed aside and not seen as a real disease that impairs peoples abilities because it is an invisible illness. Stigma of mental illnesses within the workplace is a major reason why employees choose to conceal their issues. Employees can feel labelled, less capable and treated differently...
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...Did you know that nearly 19% of adults in the U.S. alone deal with some kind of a mental disorder? Or that 20% of the youth population have been diagnosed with one of these disorders? To put that into a different perspective, that means one in every five people may possess some form of a mental illness, whether it is depression, an anxiety disorder, or OCD. Mental illness is not a rarity in today’s society, but instead it is an extensive obstacle for everyone that has these disorders. Mental illness is existent all over the world in many people, and it is important to be knowledgeable of it and essential to be understanding of the people who suffer from it. I have always been curious about mental illnesses ever since I was able to understand what it was. I have read books about people with mental disorders, studied statistics about mental illnesses, and researched it extensively on the Internet. First, I...
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... the wallpaper symbolizes a variety of the narrator’s senses. Throughout the story, her senses change and the wallpaper also changes. The wallpaper shows how someone who suffers from a mental illness has different perspectives on their emotional surroundings and self-perception. Next, the house the narrator is kept in and the ugliness in the patterns of the wallpaper help represent the outlook of a woman’s repression. All in all, the wallpaper symbolizes the events in which the narrator finds herself trapped...
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...The Stigma of Mental Illness and its Effects It appears that negative views of mental illness are common with in the public. According to Overton & Medina people suffering from mental illness are often portrayed as weird, defensive, and sometimes hard to talk to. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1990), mental illness is defined as, “mentally distorted, mad, or crazy” (Russel, 1990). Generally, concepts about mental illness tend to be subjective, leading to difficulties in defining mental illness. Johnstone (2001) gives a broader definition of mental illness, believing that mental illness relates to the individuals spectrum of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors that damper relationships required for work, home, and in the learning facilities (Johnstone, 2001). This definition is also referenced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994), which categorizes the symptoms that are used to diagnose mental illness (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Stigmatizing individuals with mental illness are causing these individuals to suffer loss of employment, housing, and stereotyping, and prejudice. There have been many different thoughts this is not research on the topic of stigma due to mental illness. This study discusses the true definitions of stigma, causes, effects, impact of the programs all ready in place, and what can be done to change the perception of the general public . Individuals...
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...medication and some rest to get better; most of the times the disease is gone. However, mental illness is not the same. Once the person is affected, it is not a simple process to get back to an average day. It takes time and the right treatment to get better. .. Mental illness has several symptoms that need to meet in criteria of the DSM V in order to be diagnosed. The website MAYO CLINIC provides the following definition of what a mental illness is: “Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and affect your ability to function. A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at work or in relationships. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and counseling (psychotherapy) (Mayo Clinic,2015)” As the website described, Mental illness must disturb the daily functioning, such as the ability to work, go to school, or the difficulty of doing simple activities such as getting up of the bed, get groomed or eat. Also, the mental illness doesn’t necessary has to affect the person who has it, but to those who are around. For example, a person with schizophrenia...
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...Disabilities Framed in Commercials I found two commercials about disability. One was about mental health awareness and the other about autism. The commercials were framed though different models. I will compare the models used the critique how the commercials were framed. I found the advertisement made by HeadsUp video campaign about mental health awareness http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mental+health+commercial. In society there is a stigma placed upon mental illness despite that it can affect anyone at any age. It is socially acceptable to tell others they are diabetic, have cancer, or have other illnesses regarding the body but when the mind is involved people are viewed as “strange” or out of the ordinary when they speak about it. For this reason it is not talked about much and people tend to keep their mental illness to themselves but at the same time would like to speak about what they are feeling so they can get the help they might need. The person then feels stuck and feels as if they are the only one feeling like that because no one else seems to speak about it. Statistics show mental illness is common and effects 20% of Canadians (Fast Facts about Mental Illness). If more people spoke about it then there would not be such a stigma attached to it. The commercial lets people know there is nothing wrong with opening up about mental illness and is attempting to change societies negative views about the issue. The commercial shows a girl going through a panic attack...
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...Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Paper David Brown, Charles Hodge PSY/300: General Psychology Susan Bonnell June 2, 2015 University of Phoenix Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Paper Abnormal psychology is the study of unusual behavior, thoughts, and emotion by members of a society (American Psychological Association, 2015). To meet the definition of abnormal, the behavior, actions, or thoughts must be atypical of the culture (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). Herein is where the challenge lies, due to the fact that our world encompasses many cultures and definitions of normal are significantly different from one region to the next. The paper will provide examples of abnormal psychology in the form of mental disorders and illnesses. Additionally, treatments for these disorders and illnesses will be discussed. Normal and Abnormal Psychology Normal and abnormal psychology can differ by culture. One’s normal behavior is that which allows for a society to maintain a productive and relationship driven life that does not differ drastically from the normalcy of said society (Kowalski & Westen, 2011). When an individual’s behavior is maladaptive to the culture he or she belongs, others will then classify said behavior as abnormal, and then will attempt to change that behavior. Wen-Sing Tseng, M.D. (2013), described a Latino man who hit his body and yelled very loudly, alone while in public, upon hearing of his wife’s death. The treating doctor was unsure if the man’s behavior...
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...Lessons from the PoorMental illnesses are perceived by society as taboo. However with a correct Diagnoses and effective treatment plan people with psychiatric disorders can lead normal lives. I will address my feelings about certain psychiatric disorders and the people who suffer from them. Next I will discuss co-occurring disorders and how some are more serious than others. I will disclose my feelings about medical treatment of mental illnesses with pharmacotherapy. Finally I will discuss weather treating mental illness with psychopharmacology drugs are a poor solution or great advancements. Contrary to popular belief Psychiatric disorders are more prevalent than society wants to admit people simply avoid seeking treatment because of the social stigma attached. Psychiatric disorders are those that affect the thoughts and mood of individuals. However, when one hears the phrase Psychiatric disorder the first thought is insanity to the point of being confined to mental institution. Nevertheless this is far from the truth. While these disorders can wreak havoc in lives they can also be managed effectively when the correct treatment plan is coupled with counseling and medication. While treating these disorders can prove a difficult task it is the only way to prevent self-management with drugs and alcohol. While I do believe that people with psychiatric disorders can be effectively treated, one must understand all aspects of the puzzle to ensure the treatment method is effective...
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...A Beautiful Mind is a film based on real life of Professor John Nash who received a Nobel Prize in Economics. It is directed by Ron Howard. The story is about the achievements of Professor John Nash and his mental illness. This film reveal the details about the psychological disorder, schizophrenia. In the early ages, John Nash as a college student was living in the isolated world with stress to publish his work. Later, he develops a severe mental illness schizophrenia which get worse day-by-day. His mental illness also effect his family and friends; however he struggles to control his disease. In the beginning of the film, it is shown that John Nash reaches at Princeton University where he meets other honor graduate students. He also meets brilliant professors who are respected and have great achievements. His college life depicts the sixth stage of Erikson’s 8 stages of developmental life, which is Intimacy-vs.-Isolation. His life seems to be isolated. He does not have many friends and he does not share love relationship with anyone. Moreover, he wants to publish his own original idea to get fame. He tries his best to come up with idea and he finds the idea while sitting in the bar. He observes a group of women and develop a theory based idea that is how to approach a lady in the bar. He composed his work and gets his work publish which gives him recognition. Based on his work, he is offered job at MIT where his two classmates join him. Few years later, he is...
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...which she was victimised and controlled in the name of ‘love’ by her husband and medical supervisor, John. Knowledge of context enabled me to appreciate different complexities of meaning in particular details of the story including the symbolism of the yellow wallpaper, the bedroom, and references to writing. Finally, my knowledge of context enhanced my appreciation of how the story is written. As a first person narrative the novella encouraged me to have some sympathy for the unnamed woman. However, my knowledge of context allowed me to appreciate the importance of point of view at another level, namely its significance in giving the female victim a voice. I have thus gained an appreciation of the political dimension of the story – the way it raises issues of power, which I might otherwise have not understood. One of the things that has helped me appreciate The Yellow Wallpaper more is my extended knowledge of the treatment of hysteria patients in the Victorian period. ‘Hans Pols’ newspaper from the University of Pennsylvania generated a very interesting article titled ‘The Social History of Mental Illness.’ This article has enlightened my appreciation for the woman in this story, I am able to sympathise with her much more due to my new knowledge of the issue. This...
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... Social constructivist perspective for understanding schizophrenia, mental health and illness Mentor: Student: *name *name Spring, 2013 Contents: 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 Social constructivist perspective of schizophrenia 4 3 CONCLUSION 7 REFERENCES 8 INTRODUCTION In this paper we analyze the concept according to which mental illness is as much a socially constructed disease as it is a physiological one and especially the example of schizophrenia, one of the oldest, most documented, and least understood of all the behaviors that fall under society’s category of mental illness. One of the most influential theoretical positions evident in the sociology of health and illness over the past 30 years has been social constructivism. A central assumption within this broad approach is that reality is not self-evident, stable and waiting to be discovered, but instead it is a product of human activity. In this broad sense all versions of social constructivism can be identified as a reaction against positivism and naive realism. There are multiple intellectual roots of a social constructionist approach to illness. Some of the basic building blocks are evident in the writings of early sociological thinkers (Durkheim, Mannheim, Thomas), but one of the most important intellectual foundations of the social construction of illness is social problems theory and research from the 1960s and 1970s. Distancing...
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