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Mental Stigma

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Stigma of Mental Illness Mental illness seems more prevalent today than it did in the days of our grandparents and great grandparents. Arguments range many opinions of why this is the case. One argument is that more mental illnesses are recognized today compared to the past. For example, during WWII “Shell Shock” was used to describe the abnormal mental condition affecting all soldiers who experienced traumatic events during war. Psychiatrist didn’t discover Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), until the Vietnam War (Joseph, 2011). Advancements and discovery’s in the field of Psychology today have led to the diagnosis of many mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, depression, and others. This led to many questions. Are these conditions over diagnosed? Are these just labels for behaviors not acceptable by society? What stigmas are associated with those affected by these conditions? I think it’s a combination of all of the above. (NAMI, 2016) …show more content…
Most of society considers the exhibited behaviors as dangerous, and those afflicted as unstable or unpredictable. One study showed that a third of people diagnosed with schizophrenia exhibited homicidal behavior and a quarter committed suicide. Those who do not seek proper treatment have a high probability to turning to alcohol or drugs, which in turn may lead to more mental illnesses like depression or addiction. As described by Davey Graham, the stigma placed on patients with mental illness creates a “self stigma” which causes them not to seek help, for fear of being shunned by others. I believe this is why mental illness is largely undiagnosed in many affected people (Davey,

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