...Daniel Diskin Intro To Psychology “What Mental Illness now means to me” I would like to start this assignment off by announcing that I was not in “the class” when the first assignment was handed out. If I was I would have had an entire different perception then I have gained during this semester. I wish I could of looked back and realize how different I look at the subject now, compaired to then. I will do my best to help explain everything I have learned this semester. Media Portrayal of Mental Illness in America The media in American society has a major influential impact on the minds and beliefs of millions of people. Whether through the news, television shows, or film, the media acts as a huge database for knowledge and instruction. It is both an auditory and visual database that can press images and ideas into people's minds. Even if the individual has no prior exposure or knowledge to something, the media can project into people's minds and leave a lasting impression. Because of this people begin to think that people with psychiatric disability, living in a society that widely endorses stigmatizing ideas, will internalize these ideas and believe that they are less valued because of their psychiatric disorder. Self-esteem suffers, as does confidence in one's future. Many people with serious mental illness are challenged doubly. On one hand, they struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease. On the other, they are challenged by the...
Words: 425 - Pages: 2
...Mental Illness Mental illness is a disorder that is characterized by disturbances in a person’s thought, emotions, or behavior. Mental illness refers to a wide variety of disorders, ranging from those that cause mild distress to those that impair a person’s ability to function in daily life. Many have tried to figure out the reasons for mental illnesses. All of these reasons have been looked at and thought of for thousands of years. The biological perspective views mental illness as a bodily process. Where as the psychological perspectives think the role of a person’s upbringing and environment are causes for mental illnesses. Researchers estimate that about 24 percent of people over eighteen in the United States suffer from some sort of common mental illness, such as depression and phobias. Studies have also shown that 2.6 percent of adults in the United States suffer from some sort of severe form of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, panic disorders, or bipolar disorders. Younger people also suffer from mental illnesses the same way that adults do. 14 to 20 percent of individuals under the age of eighteen suffer from a case of mental illness. Studies show that 9 to 13 percent of children between the ages of nine and seventeen suffer from a serious emotional disturbances, that disrupts the child’s daily life. Major depression is a severe disorder. Symptoms include withdraw from family and/or friends, weight loss, sleeping problems, frequent crying, fleeing helpless...
Words: 320 - Pages: 2
...Mental illness definition rewrite In ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, and Roman writings, mental illness was categorized as a religious or personal problem. In the 5th century B.C, Hippocrates was a pioneer in treating mentally ill people with techniques not rooted in religion; instead, he focused on changing a mentally ill patient’s environment or occupation, or administering certain substances as medications. During the middle Ages, the mentally ill were believed to be possessed or in need of religion. Mental illness is a condition, which effect person’s brain. Therefore it can alter person’s mood or thoughts. If it is serious, a person can lose some of their ability to function in daily life. For example, losing the ability to speak, move or think critically. Currently, I think there is a no treatment for mental illness patients to fully recover their illness. Nowadays, there is lots of surgery’s developing for physical illness problem because it’s depending on bones. However, mental illness is different because brain cannot be fixed in the same way that bones can be fixed. Having a surgery on person’s brain can be somewhat more dangerous and difficult for the doctors. Brain cannot recover easily. Various types of mental illness can affect persons’ behavior, thinking, ability or mood. The most familiar mental illnesses for me are depression and ADHD. Those illnesses impact many people in daily life. They consider as a normal mental illness. Those can occur because...
Words: 814 - Pages: 4
...Treatment for Mental Illness Stacey Adam English 111- BBH Professor Fernandez Ivy Tech Community College November 12, 2009 Treatment for Mental Illness The word “mental” means mind, and a mental illness is a medical condition that disturbs a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, interactions with others, and daily functioning (Bobgan, 2000). Until recently with all the studies and research on treatment, understanding, and acceptance of mental illnesses, mystery and fear have always surrounded it. A lot of people believe that mental illnesses are rare and “could only happen to someone else.” There are over two hundred classified forms of mental illnesses and many ways to treat them. Schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic or anxiety disorder, and personality disorder are some of the most common mental illnesses. The signs and symptoms for mental illness vary in every person depending on the possible disorder and because every person’s perception of “normal” is different. Changes in behavior, mood and personality, sadness, crying, anger, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and withdrawal from family and friends are just a few of the signs and symptoms related to mental illness. It is very difficult to find the exact cause of a mental illness, but research shows that these conditions can be caused from a combination of genetics, biological, psychological, and environmental factors...
Words: 1170 - Pages: 5
...MENTAL ILLNESS October 2001, just after September 11, he started acting and behaving erratically. He was not the same man we have known as Uncle Dan for the past few years. What has happened to him? Has he suffered from some type of mental illness? According to Canadian Health Association “mental illnesses can take many forms, just as physical illnesses do” (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2009). Uncle Dan was born and raised in a small town named Quesnel, located in the South Western part of Canada. Although his parents were not wealthy, they were not financially restricted either, due to the abundance of lumber mills in this region. They had pushed and financed their children education, for they knew that it was an investment into the future. Even though Uncle Dan’s parent never received a formal education, they were fully aware of the importance of going to college. As an honor graduate from the local High school, Uncle Dan received a scholarship from the province university, BC University, to continue his education. That year, he had met Julia, my mother’s younger sister, whom he married a year later. Shortly afterward, Dan dropped out of the University and returned home to work in a local mill. The only explanation that was given to his parents was “College is not meant for people like me.” While this was not the extent of Uncle Dan’s transformation, it was not enough of a significant warning sign that Uncle Dan had a mental issue. In fact, it was not until that...
Words: 1686 - Pages: 7
...Mental Illness: Depression Phill S. Reg University of Phoenix Online HCA 240 July 20, 2014 Mental Illness: Depression Many American suffer from a form of mental illness. When you look at the statistics, it is quite alarming just how many Americans suffer from a mental illness. It is estimated that 26.2 percent of the American population from the ages of 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental illness (NIH, n.d). This is an astounding number to consider. If you do the math, that means that approximately 1 out of 4 Americans has a mental illness. We will discuss the mental illness of depression for this discussion. One of the most common mental illnesses in America is depression. A large number of Americans live with depression undiagnosed and untreated. What is Depression? “Over 9 million American adults suffer from clinical depression each year” (Stanford School of Medicine, 2014). Why does depression affect so many people? Let us first define depression. Most people would probably consider depression as being sad. However, clinical depression goes much deeper than just feeling sad. “Depression is a persistent state that can significantly impair an individual's thoughts, behavior, daily activities, and physical health” (Stanford School of Medicine, 2014). People who are diagnosed with depression will usually receive psychological assistance as well as regular prescriptions of some sort. The History of Depression “Melancholia” was...
Words: 1515 - Pages: 7
...CV-2D ASSIGNMENT OF: PSYCHOLOGY SUBMITTED TO: MISS BATOOL MENTAL ILLNESSS (PROBLEMS) &WORK When discussing mental problems and work, "work" can mean a number of things. It can mean the workplace, as in where we go to do our jobs. It can also mean the act of working, what we do at our jobs, as a volunteer in the community, or what we like to do in the garden, kitchen or workshop to relax. The relationship between mental illness and work can be looked at in a number of different ways, including: • the stresses and strains today's workplace places on us; • the incredible pressure placed upon people to continue to perform at work when an illness strikes, and the extra strain this places on their families and friends; • the difficult barriers those persons diagnosed with a mental illness face in the working world; • the strain encountered by people who work while they care for someone with a mental illness at home; • the therapeutic role the act of work plays in helping to reduce stress and improve mental health; and, • the benefits work can bring in guiding people diagnosed with a mental illness toward recovery, rebuilding their self-esteem and hopefully returning to the jobs they left when the illness struck. What is Mental Illness? The first step toward discussing mental illness and helping eliminate myths, misconceptions and stereotypes is to understand what a psychiatric illness is. In general it refers to significant clinical patterns...
Words: 1398 - Pages: 6
... Prof. Connor Eng 110/ Sec. 21513 April 13, 2011 In 2000, The British Journal of Psychiatry published the article “Involuntary Out-patient Commitment and reduction of Violent Behavior in Persons with Severe Mental Illness” in which states that serious violent acts committed by individuals with mental illnesses are statistically rare events. Still, the potential for violence in a proportion of persons with severe, persistent and often untreated psychiatric disorder stimulates public fear, prevents general acceptance and inclusion of persons with psychiatric disabilities and limits normalization and effectiveness of community based mental health services. Violent behavior among persons with severe mental illness causes public concern and is associated with illness relapse, hospital recidivism and poor outcomes in community based treatment. Violent behavior in persons with psychiatric disorder causes great public concern and is recognized by mental health clinicians as a significant problem associated with illness relapse, hospital recidivisms and poor outcomes in community based treatment. Involuntary outpatient commitment is a legal intervention designed to benefit individuals with severe mental illness who need ongoing psychiatric care and support to prevent dangerous relapse, but who are reluctant or unable to follow through with community based treatment (Swartz 1999). Lowest risk of violence was associated with extended outpatient commitment...
Words: 801 - Pages: 4
...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. Most patients who would be diagnosed as having a mental illness engage in other mood altering drugs in an attempt to self-medicate. These mood altering drugs thus lead to addiction and can complicate the treatment plan, because both issues must be addressed to ensure success. Co-occurring disorders are defined as having a mental illness and substance abuse problem which are independent...
Words: 689 - Pages: 3
...Mental Illness Paper HCA 240 5/18/2014 Mental Illness Paper In this paper we will explore the background of Bulimia nervosa, myths, misconceptions, and past treatments. We will discuss the different symptoms, signs, neurotransmitters that may be associated with the illness. The paper will go over the ways that this mental disorder can be treated, and the ways that the environment in which the person may live could have direct effects to the success or failure of their treatment. Describe the way the illness is treated in todays’ society verses the way that this illness was treated in the past. What is Bulimia nervosa which means (ravenous hunger) in latin it is a type of eating disorder, which is potentially life threatening disorder (Mayo Clinic, 2012). Many people with Bulimia take dangerous methods to hide the disorder, from family and friends. People with this mental illness tend to eat large amounts of food at a time this is called Binging (Mayo Clinic, 2012). The second step to this disorder would be Purging bulimia (Mayo Clinic, 2012). The purging part of bulimia would be when a person regularly makes themselves through up even in times when they do not need to (Mayo Clinic, 2012). The other side of Bulimia is non-purging bulimia, which is when the person decides to go about other methods to get rid of calories (Mayo Clinic, 2012). For example, they over exercise, start fasting just to lose weight or to cut calories. The history of bulimia could be dated back...
Words: 1357 - Pages: 6
...dealing with any sort of vulnerable population it is important to consider that many of them will have co-occurring disorders. For example, many people who are substance abusers will often have an undiagnosed mental health issue that they may be self medicating for, or even a diagnosed disorder but have no insurance or way of getting the help him or her may need. The history of Mental illness is hard to believe. Many people went through enormous misery coping with the illness, especially with the public beliefs towards the mentally ill population. People with mental illness were seen as possessed by demons or animal- like. Because of this, the mentally ill were treated horrifically. The mentally ill were often treated similar to what was seen in the movies. Humans were tied down or put into strait jackets, beaten and tortured in an attempt to try and release the demons that possessed him or her. “In 1900, Clifford Beers, a Yale graduate and young businessman, suffered an acute breakdown brought on by the illness and death of his brother. Shortly after a suicide attempt, Beers was hospitalized in a private Connecticut mental institution. At the mercy of untrained, incompetent attendants, he was subject to degrading treatment and mental and physical abuses (Mental Health America, 2012). Because of what Beers went through, he decided to help make a better America. His struggles “sparked a...
Words: 1366 - Pages: 6
... we get 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,...
Words: 2158 - Pages: 9
...Mental illness paper Athena M. Blythe HCA/240 December 14, 2014 Ismaila Ramon Mental Illness Paper There are several types of anxiety disorders. The anxiety disorder that I chose to write about is post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD. A person with PTSD has experienced an overwhelming traumatic incident. Most think of veterans of war having PTSD. Actually PTSD is more common than you think. It can happen because of a car accident, a fire, a rape, child abuse, or even events like September 11,2001. Patients with PTSD experience the traumatic event repeatedly and can last for months or even years after the original event. Over the years there have been many studies to diagnosis and help treat patients with PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder was officially introduced in the psychiatric world in the 1980 according to the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III) by The American Psychiatric Association (APA). However the signs and symptoms can be noted as far back as the fifth century. During the First World War soldiers were showing signs of fatigue, impaired vision, nightmares, confusions, and seizure like tendencies. Medical professional didn’t understand the cause and called this reaction “shell shocked” since there were no physical evidence of trauma and as a result the behavior was often perceived as being a coward. In fact some believed that based on the idea that soldiers were faking their psychological...
Words: 1758 - Pages: 8
...My position regarding whether mental illness is socially constructed is borderline, but I agree more that social construction plays a greater role overall. Social construction becomes prevalent when one’s responses begin to be defined as socially appropriate or not. An inappropriate or socially unexpectable response is then seen as abnormal, and thus categorized into mental illness. I believe that social construction plays a role in the view and diagnosis of mental illness because everyday stressors and the reaction to them are being socially labeled as symptoms of mental illness when in reality there is no “normal” response to issues experienced throughout an individual’s life. The media, politics and entertainment business play a large role in the view on what is socially normal and correct. For example, when someone falls short of these standards symptoms of depression and anxiety may result causing responses that are “abnormal”. Now that the symptoms’ have surfaced, they must be defined and many times easily being pointed in the direction of mental illness. I agree with Horwitz’s view suggesting that many issues that result in treatment and/or therapy are truly not a mental disorder, and the system used to classify the disease is not realistic. Disorders stemming from psychotic features such as bipolar disorder and depression, should be viewed more on as a continuum rather than entities that can be categorically placed (Horwitz, 2002). Disorders such as depression or bipolar...
Words: 269 - Pages: 2
...Mental Illness and Schizophrenia Mental Illness and Schizophrenia Joyce Dalton PSY350: Physiological Psychology Instructor: Brandy Goldston February 5, 2012 Mental Illness and Schizophrenia Mental illness has been acknowledged for thousands of years. Those who were different, or acted different from what main stream society felt was the norm; those who committed adultery, those pregnant out of wedlock, or even those who were mentally different, were all singled out, treated the same, and considered abnormal. Abnormal behavior cannot simply be defined into a single definition, with no definite line that can be crossed which separates whether someone on one side of the line has abnormal tendencies, with someone on the other side which is considered normal behavior. This paper focuses on Schizophrenia, a major mental illness, and will discuss and evaluate the symptoms, causes, and treatments which are currently being used. The human mind can be fragile, and there are many diseases and disorders that can affect it. Some may be serious while others are minor and barely recognizable. Schizophrenia is just one of those diseases which can encompass being both minor and serious. The definition for a mental illness is an illness that affects a person's mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, or behavior. Just like a physical illness, mental illness also shows symptoms that make it possible for the mental disorder or illness to be identified. Some of the recognizable symptoms...
Words: 3768 - Pages: 16
