Hello everyone.
When preparing to comment on an article, be sure to read some of the comments of your classmates. You may want to elaborate, contradict, agree or disagree with a point made. In order to comment, you must click on the word "Comment" at the bottom of the post.
Comments need to be a MAXIMUM of 200 words.
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Here is the link to the first article. It comes from the monthly publication from the American Psychological Association called the APA Monitor.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/06/stigma.html?imw=Y
Your response will be evaluated based your critical/analytical/reflective thought.
Is there a stigma associated with mental illness? How so? Explain.
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of the article? Which? Explain.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.
You need not answer all questions. These are just prompts.
Point to some specific aspect in the article, reflect, think, write.
Enjoy.
Posted by Mr. Roy at 8:48 AM
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ReplyDeleteI think that the media, as pointed out in the article, has a gigantic effect on the ways that people perceive others around them. For a lot of people, the only way that they discover the effects of these illnesses are through stories that are published in the news. And news, in order to attract the attention of their potential customers, tends to lean towards publishing gruesome, horrifying stories that portray brutality. This is not the best way to meet someone, by being told of the worst actions that similar people, not even the person himself, have committed. As a result, there is an overwhelmingly negative connotation regarding mental illnesses. I think that the article is correct in its findings. People are scared of things that they have heard bad things about. For example, my parents are prejudiced about black people because they have always heard about how areas that are predominantly black have more crime and how black people are more violent in general. The same idea applies here. If people keep hearing bad things about mentally ill individuals, they are going to start to get a bad impression of them.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is a stigma associated with mental illness. At the beginning of the article when the girl Julie was mentioned it said she was scared what people would think about her if they knew she had a mental illness. It seems like it is common for people to judge or be afraid of mental illness especially if they don’t have one themselves because they don’t fully understand it. All they see of mental illness is what is portrayed in movies and the media, which can be over exaggerated or unrealistic. The mentally ill are made out to be incurable and unsafe. The movie Shutter Island is the perfect example. If you find out that someone you know was diagnosed with a mental illness then chances are you are going to think differently of them now because you perceive them as not being normal. The person being diagnosed with the mental illness may be concerned with their peers knowing because sometimes people associate mental illness with being crazy or dangerous and a lot of the time that is not accurate.
ReplyDelete-Emma K.
Yes, there is a stigma associated with mental illness. At the beginning of the article when the girl Julie was mentioned it said she was scared what people would think about her if they knew she had a mental illness. It seems like it is common for people to judge or be afraid of mental illness especially if they don’t have one themselves because they don’t fully understand it. All they see of mental illness is what is portrayed in movies and the media, which can be over exaggerated or unrealistic. The mentally ill are made out to be incurable and unsafe. The movie Shutter Island is the perfect example. If you find out that someone you know was diagnosed with a mental illness then chances are you are going to think differently of them now because you perceive them as not being normal. The person being diagnosed with the mental illness may be concerned with their peers knowing because sometimes people associate mental illness with being crazy or dangerous and a lot of the time that is not accurate.
ReplyDelete-Emma K.
I feel that there is a stigma that is associated with mental illness. Not many people really understand what a mental illness is and therefore they think the worst possible thing.I agree that people who do have a mental illness do not want to admit it to others because they will get looked at differently and stereotyped. I also agree that people many people think that mentally ill people are violent, but that isn't true. Most mentally ill people aren't violent. My reaction to this article is that people don't really open there eyes to see that mental illness isn't always the worst thing. There are the cases where it is that bad and that certain person is that stereotypical mentally ill person. There are many types of mental illness and many of them don't involve an insane person that hears voices. People can develop a mental illness for many different reasons, like something that was very traumatic that they experiences, like a death of a close family member. Things like that can make someone be depressed which could be thought of as a mental illness.
ReplyDelete-iwona w
Based on this article, stigma is very much associated with mental illness. As soon as someone hears that a person has a mental illness, they often begin to make assumptions: "I better stay away from them; if they have a mental illness, they must be dangerous." or "How can they possibly make a living with a mental illness?" People will sometimes not get hired just due to the fact that they have a mental illness. To avoid being discriminated against, many people choose to keep their mental illnesses a secret. Who can blame them though? I admit when I hear about violent acts such as serial killings or a mother suffocating her children, I immediately think, "Who could do something like that? It must be linked to a mental issue." However, this is not the way to look at things, because violence does not stem from mental illnesses. After all, we are surrounded by mental illnesses. If we do not have one, we need to see them for what they are and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteRachael D.
I found this article to be very interesting for many reasons. I come from a family that has a history of mental illness and I have never associated mental illness with violence or crime. I always thought of it more as characteristic that can not be controlled than a threat to society. Although i do understand that if you don’t know someone who is diagnosed or classified as mentally ill you would have no reason to think other wise. The media has used mental illness as a way to capture the attention from the public. The only murders we ever hear about are those in which the killer is mentally ill. Never about the average Joe who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The part in the article that caught my attention the most was that people are asked about their mental health on the bar exam and even if they are fully treated and healthy they are denied admittance. It is sad that people have to hide who they really are because it is not "normal" and even if they are capable enough to complete the job they still have to worry about being called crazy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that with mental illnesses there is a stigma. The definition of a stigma is something that is a mark of disgrace. When people are affected with mental illnesses I think people tend to think of these people as being crazy. This stigma is evident because when someone has a mental illness the world look at this person in a very different way. For example if there is someone who is really good with computers but they have a mental illness, it will hinder them from attaining managerial positions, which is very unfortunate. I think that this is unfair because it is not the persons’ fault that they have a mental illness. Their genes or things that have happened to then, like death, affect their mental illnesses. An example of this is depression. When a person looses someone they loved, it leads to depression, but they cannot help it. It is how their body responds to the death, and we shouldn’t look at these people any differently. After reading this article I felt bad for the people that had mental illnesses but did not tell anybody or see a doctor because they were afraid of being judged and treated differently by society.
ReplyDeleteShamika P.
I found this article to be really interesting. After reading about this stigma, its appearance in the media has definitely become more prevalent to me. So, I guess it is true that this stigma is still “alive and well”, as the title of the article suggested. I can honestly recall several instances in my life of reading the newspaper or hearing a news report where mental illness was assumed to be to blame for an act of violence. Like Corrigan stated in the article, “If a woman drowns her children, people speculate—the news media speculates—that she must be off her medication.” It’s also sad that the public’s views on the mentally ill seem to remain un-swayed. The article discusses 2 anti-stigma campaigns (“Real Men, Real Depression” and “See Me”) that I believe had the right intention, but were not carried out properly. On the other hand, the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival sounded like a step in the right direction for the future of anti-stigma campaigns. I completely agree with Bernice Pescosolido when she says that, “Such anti-stigma campaigns are more likely to work than the "disease like any other" campaigns of the past.”
ReplyDeleteThere is a definite stigma that goes along with even the mention of mental illness. People are always looking for a sense of normalcy in their lives. The thought of someone with a mental illness, a defect as seen by society, does not comply with this need for stability and regularity. Although in many cases of people with mental illnesses the person is neither violent nor unstable, the stigma has still been injected into the minds of the people. People do not readily accept “different” into their lives, and they frequently end up pushing it away. The thought of a someone you know having a mental illness is not something many people would take lightly. Even if this particular mental illness may not be harmful or interfere greatly with the person’s abilities or life, just the words “mental illness” seem alarming and hazardous. The “what if” factor is always on people’s mind and it makes them stray away from the mentally ill person for their own protection or due to their fear. The stigma is incredibly unfortunate and is destructive to the lives of the mentally ill and the society.
ReplyDelete-Julie P.
There is obviously a very negative stigma associated with mental illness, considering the entire article talked about the effects of this stigma and how to handle it. As shown in the studies presented in the article, a large percentage of the American population does not want to work with, live next to, or even associate with a mentally ill person. I agree with the findings of the article, mostly because of my own prejudices, which, I must admit, do not coincide with the truth. The first image that comes to my mind when I think of someone who is “mentally ill” or who “has a disease” is one similar to a rabid dog; foaming at the mouth, erratic, uncontrollable, and uncomfortable, perhaps even unsafe, to be around. I think that this is very much because of the link that news stations make between crime and people who are mentally ill. I also think that this stigma exists because of the label, “mental illness.” The word illness has a negative connotation, so if people truly want to eliminate the stigma, they have to come up with a term that is not negative in any way.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, “Stigma: Alive and Well” by Sadie F. Dingfelder, I found that there is a stigma with mental illness. The entire article states findings of people who fear those with mental illness. For example, the third graph at the end of the article shows a poll where 68% of people would not want a person who has a mental illness marry into the family. The statistics continue to show that the population frowns upon people with a mental illness. This makes me feel very sad in the sense that the world cannot accept people with problems. The part that bothers me the most is that there are people in this world who have had a mental illness and have either overcome it or have taken medication to prevent the illness from interfering with their lives, yet the world still does not want to associate with these kinds of people. I believe if people take a step back and put themselves in the shoes of those stigmatized because of their mental illness, than they would see the wrong in it. I think this would be extremely affective in minimizing the amount of stigma directed toward mental illnesses.
ReplyDeleteNicole H
At present, there is a social stigma associated with mental illness. Especially in obtaining employment, employers are wary to employ those with mental illness because they are afraid of the person’s competency and safety. Even for a less noticeable illness such as chronic depression, Julie, a lawyer, conceals her illness because all 50 states’ bar associations discriminate against potential employees with mental illness. Thus, it is obvious that the article’s findings are evident. As the author reports, reminding a subject of their mental obstructions causes his/her score to drop dramatically. Additionally, the social stigma of mental disease is ostentatious in popular culture when some people call others “retarded” as an insult. Although the article’s findings are accurate, it must be noted that the article is clearly partisan in its angle to disregard the multitude of crimes that the mentally inept commit because of their handicaps; such as the violent crimes of some schizophrenics. Personally, the article did not surprise me as I previously read other articles affirming what this one states; I agreed with those articles and my opinion remains. I feel that media and governments should make a concerted effort to remove the bias against people with mental illness.
ReplyDeleteZach S.
After reading this article I realized how serious mental illnesses are. The facts mentioned in the article were both shocking and scary. It’s amazing how judgmental and stereotypical humans are when it comes to people not of the social “norm.” There are statistics such as “68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family,” although people with mental illnesses are expected to be truthful, it is extremely hard to do so. The article seems as if it is trying to convince people to ignore society and stay positive, although throughout time it’s becoming increasingly harder to do so. The article is attempting to convince those with mental illnesses that it’s not something to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Studies have shown that people with illnesses are likely to hide that fact on tests; when it is hidden, they do better. It is also interesting that the article mentions the connections between mental illnesses and violence. Although the article states that the majority of people with mental illnesses aren’t violent, some disagree. It is awful to see that violence is linked with mental illnesses, hopefully further campaigns will help to convince otherwise.
ReplyDelete-Marisa P.
In my opinion, despite recent efforts to control the stigmas regarding mentally ill people, society as a whole still carries a prejudice on all people unlike themselves. Similar to race issues, people have trouble understanding different situations and perspectives simply due to a lack of experience. This fosters an environment in which people rely on the media or other people for information regarding those that they do not understand. Since media regularly portrays mass murders (as this type of broadcasting attracts viewers) people question the mental sanity of these murderers. Once this stereotype is set, people are not willing to truly understand the mentally ill and the impression is nearly impossible to correct. The same way people lean away from someone bigger than them out of fear, people avoid those with mental illness. This stigma, like the article mentioned, only furthers mental sickness, as mentally ill people need to assimilate with society as part of their recovery. In essence, for a real change to occur, it will require people to completely change their prior perspectives on mentally ill people – a change which has to come as gradually and without media intervention. – Gaurav B.
ReplyDeleteRachel R.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a definite stigma associated with mental illness. I think the point the article made about how the media portrays mental illness was interesting because the media is the most sure and quick way to both reach and influence the general public. A person who is in the news for doing something violent may very well be mentally ill- however the assumption that the violence is always the result of a mental illness is where the stigma is born. The article even points out that not only are the majority of mentally ill people not violent, but they are more than twice as likely to be the victims of violence. Because of this I think that the stigma and all the fear is irrational. However, I question why the stigma is so widespread among the general public, if the author even states that everyone’s family in America has a person with a serious mental illness. Based on the charts and statistics at the end of the article, I think that the attitude towards people with mental illness can be greatly improved by spreading the awareness through the types of campaigns mentioned.
As evidenced in the article, there is certainly a stigma associated with mental illness. The general public has a flawed perception of the mentally ill that is often twisted by the media. This flawed perception is present in government, businesses, and other organizations. For example, when Julie’s doctor recommended her to see a therapist, she refused, knowing that state bar associations frequently deny applicants on the basis of mental health problems. In my opinion, it is necessary for large organizations to understand mental illness and cease discrimination before the public can be expected to do the same. I also disagree with America’s decision to pour millions of dollars into public information campaigns. The progress of these campaigns has been extremely limited. In order to successfully fight the stigma associated with mental illness, governmental legislation must be passed to end discrimination in the hiring of mentally ill employees. I believe that this is a critical first step in giving the mentally ill what they rightfully deserve. Therefore, I understand that the stigma associated with mental illness is a significant issue, but I disagree entirely with the methods that society has used to combat it. --Edward H.
ReplyDeleteMy personal reaction to this article is slightly undecided. I truly do not know which side to take in this issue due to the fact that my belief about people with mental illness contradicted what this article was trying to prove. I always thought that people with mental illness are more violent and crazy than those without the illness. This article opened my eyes to the fact that people with mental illness are creative, completely normal, and unfortunately have this disease. Now that I see mental illness as a disease, I truly cannot classify them as anything other than a normal person. I think that majority of people do view others with mental illness as bad people and as ones that you should avoid. That is most definitely not the case and this article brilliantly showed the inaccuracy of that statement.
ReplyDeleteSadie F. Dingfelder writes of the typical American response to mental illnesses in “The Military's War on Stigma.” Her argument on a stigma associated with mentally ill people is evident in our society. Just as Dingfelder states, when a person commits a violent crime, society assumes the person is mentally ill. The media is very much to blame for this negative association of mental illness and violence. In a different scenario, politicians and other government-personal must have clear records of even the most subtle cases of mental illnesses, including seeing a psychiatrist for any reason. Voters choose their politician based on the media’s reports of seemingly decision-breaking factors which are actually mostly irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI have witnessed such assumptions in my family. My cousin, raised by two graduate-degreed parents in an upper-class environment and attending a private prep-school in Westchester, dropped out of Vanderbilt University in her first semester after a mental breakdown. My family came to the conclusion that my cousin clearly had some previously underlying mental illness that has erupted. Dingfelder explains this exactly, stating people view the mentally ill as “incompetent, irrational and untrustworthy—and that can lead to distress that’s sometimes worse than the mental illness itself.”
My personal reaction to this article is slightly undecided. I truly do not know which side to take in this issue due to the fact that my belief about people with mental illness contradicted what this article was trying to prove. I always thought that people with mental illness are more violent and crazy than those without the illness. This article opened my eyes to the fact that people with mental illness are creative, completely normal, and unfortunately have this disease. Now that I see mental illness as a disease, I truly cannot classify them as anything other than a normal person. I think that majority of people do view others with mental illness as bad people and as ones that you should avoid. That is most definitely not the case and this article brilliantly showed the inaccuracy of that statement.
ReplyDeleteThere absolutely is a stigma associated with mental illness. This, in my view, is likely due to widespread misconceptions about mental illnesses. To most people, mental illness seems to suggest someone who is or has been institutionalized, someone who needs asylum, who must be separated from society at large. This in turn leads many people to associate mental illness with criminality – separation from society can only have such connotations. What people who hold to this association neglect to recognize is that there are degrees of mental illness, and that the overwhelming majority of individuals stricken with a mental illness is dangerous.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find it refreshing to see a positive portrayal of a group which, if not persecuted, certainly is widely stigmatized today. Furthermore, the article the article not only reports on the negative stigma associated with mental illness, nor the failures of previous attempts made to diminish these prejudices, but also provides notable coverage of recent renovations to this campaign. The article describes recent attempts made to cover through the media the contributions made by people with mental illnesses to society, proposes expounding upon these contributions, and provides documented figures to back up the effectiveness of this proposal.
In today’s society image is everything. A good reputation is imperative for successful relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers. Therefore, it makes sense for people to hide an imperfection that has the potential to impact how they are viewed by others. This is the case for the millions of Americans who attempt to hide their mental illnesses. I understand why it would be tempting to do so. However, as English writer Aldous Huxley said, "Facts do not cease to exist because they ignored.” Ignoring mental illnesses will not treat them nor end the stigma associated with them. Just as medication will help an illness, education will soothe the stigma. The best way to prevent ignorance is with knowledge. We must take what the media says with a grain of salt. The media depicts the mentally ill as dangerous and unpredictable. However, they are covering the most extreme of cases. Seung-Hui Cho, the perpetrator of the Virginia Tech Massacre, had selective mutism, major depression and other factors such as his childhood and family problems that made him a rare and unlikely case. Perhaps the real danger lies in the stigma of mental illness, not the illness itself.
ReplyDeleteElise B.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that there is a stigma with mental illness. People are less likely to trust and respect those with a mental disease because of their reputation of violence and incompetence. Of course, these are just stereotypes that should not prevent those with a mental illness from earning jobs and acceptance from the public. I was very surprised to read that 68% of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into the family. Although people do fear genetic issues being passed on to children, it is not fair for those with a mental illness to live alone and unsatisfied just because of an unasked for disease. I wonder if 68% of Americans do not want someone with a physical disease, like cancer, marrying into the family as well. I would predict that people are less likely to accept one with a mental disease than one with a physical disease. Unfortunately, some believe that the person suffering from a mental disease is to blame for his or her medical issues. Overall, I agree with the findings in this article and hope that one day, the stigma with mental illness is reduced through successful anti-stigma campaigns.
Jenny L.
ReplyDeleteIt’s frightening how much the media influences us without us even realizing it. In the present day, we have many sources from which we can educate ourselves, yet the information is often so biased that we have a difficult time getting a clear view. In some ways, the stigma is like racism. It is a form of discrimination and stereotyping based on faulty premises. Thus, fighting to eradicate misconceptions toward people with mental illness presents the same challenges as when fighting against racism. Only, the battle against stigma has just begun. Though the issue of racism still exists today, one can state confidently that circumstances have improved. Those campaigning against stigma can learn from past and present anti-racism tactics. For one, essential to understanding and acceptance is education of the public. Considering this idea, the new Arts and Film Festival will likely be successful since it emphasizes the achievements and potential of the mentally ill. Seeing the true nature of these people not only helps society to accept, but also gives those with mental disease confidence in their abilities. Perhaps one day, our normal and even exceptional friends will no longer be afraid of exposing their unexceptional weaknesses.
Lauren L:
ReplyDeleteBased on the article “The military’s war on stigma,” I do believe that there is a stigma associated with mental illness. Because there are often examples shown in the news and other television shows, of people with mental illnesses performing violent deeds, many people associate violence with mental instability. This stereotype causes fully-functioning, mentally ill people to hide their medical history from co-workers and families, furthermore exemplifying a stigma. I believe that the example later in the article of Diane Quinn’s GRE Analytic test is an excellent point in proving that there is a stigma associated with mental illness. The fact that those who disclosed the information regarding their past or present mental illnesses did half as well as those who did not displays the worry that many people have about being judged for their disease.
I agree with this article and believe that the anti-stigma campaigns should continue to raise awareness to stop the spread of stigma surrounding mental illness. However, the way the article is written comes across as biased. If the author had used specific examples of people who do not believe there is a stigma associated with mental illness it would have made the article much more convincing, rather than just showing one side of the matter- that stigma and mental illness go hand-in-hand.
My personal reaction to Ms. Dingfelder’s article about stigma relating to mental illnesses and their effect in society was a sort of shock and realization that they deal with sometimes unnecessary things, which instead of helping them, knock them down emotionally. I completely agree with Dingfelder’s findings that people who have mental illnesses are, in fact, feared and treated differently than those who do not. Her inclusion of “Julie’s” troubles with depression and her inability to gain help for fear of how others will react to her completely emphasize the main point of Dingfelder’s article. Society’s view of those with mental illness regard them as “incompetent, irrational, and untrustworthy” according to Mr. Patrick Corrigan, PsyD, traits that obviously don’t apply to every single person who deals with an illness. It is my belief that stigma surrounding mental illnesses are making it increasingly difficult for those who have it, and are creating more fear surrounding them; sometimes creating concern that doesn’t need to be there. Constant reminder of something that they can’t change and something that impairs them, rather than encouraging, makes them fall back and exhibit that stereotype they are trying to avoid in the first place. With mental illnesses so prevalent how can we, as a society, hinder them repeatedly instead of helping them succeed?
ReplyDeleteHolly J.
“We know that social support of people with psychosis, for instance by friends or family, is crucial for their recovery," says Birgit Kleim, PhD. I agree with this article and this quote more specifically. Most people I know are self-conscious of themselves whether they are open about it or not, and even small things like their appearance, will change their attitude and the way they feel. Without having someone close to you to make you feel better about feelings that bring you down, you’ll turn depressed. Support is needed more for people with psychosis because if they are already feeling depressed and hate life, having no one around to get their mind off of their troubles will never cheer them up. The more support, the less shown symptoms of people who face such struggles. They are people too, so they should be treated just like anyone else.
ReplyDelete“We know that social support of people with psychosis, for instance by friends or family, is crucial for their recovery," says Birgit Kleim, PhD. I agree with this article and this quote more specifically. Most people I know are self-conscious of themselves whether they are open about it or not, and even small things like their appearance, will change their attitude and the way they feel. Without having someone close to you to make you feel better about feelings that bring you down, you’ll turn depressed. Support is needed more for people with psychosis because if they are already feeling depressed and hate life, having no one around to get their mind off of their troubles will never cheer them up. The more support, the less shown symptoms of people who face such struggles. They are people too, so they should be treated just like anyone else.
ReplyDeleteWirakS:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I immediately thought of two movies I have recently seen; one was a drama and the other a horror film. They both depict people who have a mental illness as either violent or crazy. I do believe that the prejudice towards the mentally ill has decreased in general, but I’m still left down-trodden when I look back on these movies and how inaccurately the diseases are depicted. The stigma of mental illness is still sensationalized by these kinds of movies. This leads me to believe that there needs to be more progress.
I knew before reading this article that early on people with mental illnesses were sent to psychiatric hospitals where they were often treated inhumanely and cast away from society. Certain treatments were forced upon them, many of which were hostile. I think people developed more prejudices seeing the patients’ violent reactions to treatment in the hospital. That made them apprehensive about having them out in public. To be honest, I think most people would be angry, even violent, if they were taken away against their will, even one considered “sane”. No one is going to have a positive outlook on society if he or she is discriminated against. I agree with Kleim’s statement, "We know that social support of people with psychosis, for instance by friends or family, is crucial for their recovery.” Back when the prejudice really started, people weren’t provided the support they needed, worsening the problem.
It doesn’t surprise me that the “disease like any other” campaign didn’t work. The disease itself scares people. I think this campaign is better suited for obesity. Many people discriminate obese people. However they are campaigning now that obesity isn’t solely from someone’s out of control eating habits; it has a lot to do with genetics. This fact eliminates that stereotype. While I do believe people handle their mental illnesses differently, it’s good to show them in a positive light in the work force. Like any other illness, people may decide to work past their disease while others may simply give up; it’s good to show the mentally ill can also make a conscious issue to not let their illness dominate their life.
It’s interesting how mental illness is perceived… all of the ‘traits’ that mentally ill people have seem to stem solely from media depiction. Where do those 'facts' that mentally ill people tend to be more violent, etc., than normal people come from? Did the media make it up, or is it based in some truth? The media usually distorts (and sometimes reports) the truth rather than making up complete lies. And if there is at least one mentally ill person in every family in America then shouldn't there be less stigmas? The ideas that mentally ill people are prone to violence, are untrustworthy, had to come from somewhere before being popularized by the media. Those traits did come from mentally ill patients before there were many doctors and effective treatments for mental diseases. So there is a basis for the media to crow out the many stigmas applied to the mentally ill today. That base doesn't exist anymore because more people receive treatment for illness. These stigmas are based in the past, not the present, which means that slowly the world will come to view the mentally ill as normal people who need a little extra help.
ReplyDeleteRachel S.
In today’s society, there is clearly a stigma associated with people with mental illness. It is clear, as evidenced in the article, that many people have a fear of the mentally ill through varying beliefs ranging from a risk of violent behavior, to simply being unpredictable. I for one can say that I am always more wary around people with mental illness, not due to the fact that I believe they are unstable, but more so because I don’t fully understand the effects that these illness’s have on them. As a result of that, I believe that the articles idea of bringing people together to be around people with mental illness, such as at the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, is a great way to bring the community into a more open understanding of the true actions and success of people with mental illness. If more of these events can be planned I would guess that it would only lead to a larger immersion of the mentally ill into the common public.
ReplyDeleteMental illness definitely seems like the kind of thing to attract stubborn stigma. People have the tendency to reject such extreme differences in others and hold a prejudice against it. Since mental illnesses are shown as handicaps that can result in violence, the idea of "embracing other people for their differences" is tough to use to lessen stigma.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that how many people perceive mentally ill people to be violent makes sense too. With mental illness, people often think of hallucinations, shocks of anger, delusions, bipolar attacks, or any of the typical things. If something’s connected wrong in a complex machine like a rocket, for instance, it can explode even if the mistake is just a broken rubber seal. Many prejudiced people feel that the same thing applies to the mentally ill, that they’re likely to explode on them for an unknown reason.
Explaining how it’s a genetic condition and why definitely wouldn’t have done much. Knowing where it comes from doesn’t convince people how it can be good for present society. Giving the positive, real examples of people shows there’s legitimate hope in the today’s world; real-world evidence is what helps break stereotypes.
In modern society, there is a stigma related to mental illness. One aspect of this stigma is that mentally ill people are misinterpreted as violent—which makes the recovery of a mentally ill person harder to achieve. Not wanting to be branded with stereotypes that are associated with mental illness, many people do not seek proper help, support, and treatment. Negative reports in the media and news highlight destructive behavior of mentally ill people, but rarely cover their successes and positive impacts. As a result, society associates violence with mental illness even if the mental health of a violent person is unknown. One plausible reason for such stereotyping would be that society tries to find an excuse for the criminal’s actions. People are more comfortable with correlating mental instability with violent behavior because it is easier to understand, rather than trying to comprehend how a person could commit such a crime with a stable mind. Many people probably interact with a mentally ill person frequently but are unaware of his or her mental health. If society realizes how many people are actually mentally ill and that they live relatively normal lives, there would not be such negativity or stigmatization.
ReplyDelete-Brenna L.
I was amazed by some of the facts in this article. For example, I was surprised that 56% of Americans are unwilling to spend an evening with someone who has a mental illness. I can understand why someone would not want a person with mental illness to marry into his/her family, because the mental illness could be genetic; however, I cannot understand why someone would not even be willing to spend four or five hours with a person with mental illness. Therefore, I think there is a stigma associated with mental illness because people are so reluctant to just spend a small amount of their time with them. I also agree with the article in that stigma is damaging to people with mental illness since it can prevent mentally ill people from getting a job. I was astounded that some bar associations denied admittance to people with past mental health problems, even though they had been successfully treated. Stigma can also cause people with mental illness to believe what society believes about them, which is usually that they are inept, unreasonable, and untrustworthy. I believe this is one of the worst effects of stigma.
ReplyDeleteSamantha M.
I agree with the article because people in today’s society are so afraid of losing their jobs or not getting a job they don’t want to include any medical information that will potentially lower their chances of receiving or keeping their job; often, they will not answer any medical questions. Also people’s images are important in today’s society; for example, in this article Julie keeps her depression from her co-workers for fear of how they’d react. There is a stigma to mental illness... A study by Pescosolido shows 68% of Americans don’t want someone with mental illness in their families because many think they are violent. Also, in the ending sentence “if more people come out of the closet and perhaps the stigma of mental illness will finally decline…” shows if more people told of having mental illness there would be more acceptances. People who confess to having a mental illness tend to be viewed as weird, but the ones afraid and trying to their keep their image are not telling. Maybe if these people admitted suffering from depression or mental disorders, society would see even seemingly “normal” people have these conditions. Then the stigma of mental illness would disappear.
ReplyDeleteHow the public views mental illness and whether that creates stigma is definitely an endless debate. I definitely think that stigma is associated with mental illness for a lot of reasons. For example, when people who are mentally ill see things in the media such as the statement that mentally ill people are more violent or that they’re more subject to pity, they most likely get mad and do not want to be mentally ill, so they go into more of a hysteria. Also, data shows that people are more unwilling to have a mentally ill person marry into their family or work them with, so the effected people have to be affected by that. I do agree with the findings in the article that if less negative things regaurding mentally ill people surface in the media, stigma will definitely decline. It shocks me to see that so many negative things are being said about the mentally ill, and I think that society should work to improve it, because the fact is that there are many mentally ill people who live amongst everyone and do just fine, so they shouldn’t be treated differently or negatively in any way.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the article’s point that there is a stigma associated with mental illnesses. People naturally stereotype others subconsciously. When I hear of someone with a mental illness my first thought is almost always negative. This isn’t because I personally think they aren’t useful members of society but rather it is a world-wide image of them that is instilled into everyone’s heads. The only way to change that image is to promote the positives (achievements of people with mental illnesses) like they are trying to do now, instead of attempting to deny and shoot down the negatives. Even though I agreed with the article, it was very biased. I understand it was trying to promote the stoppage of the stigma associated with mental illnesses, but it failed to acknowledge the other side of the argument. After all there is a reason why people have stereotypes and I would have liked the article to discuss them or even just mention the origins of them. My favorite part of the article was the charts at the bottom. They were very affective in depicting what the article was trying to say.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agreed with many of the findings of the article, and found the article to be very truthful. The section "When information leads to fear" in particular had many details that I agreed with. The general public fears disease, so telling them that mental illness is "just like any disease" will not put people at ease. Simply educating people about the mentally ill can result in these people being portrayed in a negative light. As the author said toward the end of the article, the mentally ill should be presented in a more positive light by the media. The best way to assimilate them into society is to show that they are normal, capable people just like everyone else. The brief passage about Candace Watson being treated for her illness and having success as a nurse is the type of story that would ease fears and presumptions about the mentally ill. Overall, I thought the author did a tremendous job with the article and his findings were very easy to agree with.
ReplyDelete-Jared S.
There is definitely a stigma associated with mental illness. If someone has a mental illness, fear is instilled upon anyone who knows. It is somewhat similar to previous times when the general public was afraid of all African Americans or Irish Americans who had “need not apply” or alcoholics or even something as simple as a tattoo on someone’s body, a very personal choice. Over time, people and generations have grown. They have become increasingly tolerant of different groups of people. Of course, there is always the old generation, such as are grandparents, who are a little racist still because it is how they are born. However, the cycle will continue and soon the older generation won’t be racist but maybe intolerant to another old stigma. I also find that this article seems to biased in the fact that it mainly discusses how the mental stigma has been proven wrong and the anti-stigma campaigns. However, it does not talk much about the mental illnesses that are dangerous or the cases when they have been dangerous. It focuses on the positives of mental illness much like Lee Knifton’s Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival.
ReplyDeleteIt is undeniable that stigmas exist and are prevalent. They are certainly a problem too. Most people probably don't even realize that they have prejudices or ideas about people with mental illnesses. I didn't realize that stigmas were such a problem until I read the article. I knew that socially, people with mental illness were looked down upon or pitied, but I didn't realize that people with mental illness had legal restrictions. The fact that the "Julie" might not be able to attend a bar because she had depression was shocking and appalling. Another problem I didn't know about before was the difficulty of planning anti-stigma campaigns. Clearly, there can be a myriad of unintended and negative effects of a campaign. People with mental illness need to be portrayed as people and not pitiful or violent things. I agree with Pescosolido that campaigns need to give a wholistic view of people with mental illness. These people should not be shown as weird, alien, or incapable.
ReplyDeleteI found it ironic that people often believe that people with mental illness are more prone to instigate violence, yet people with mental illness are 2.5 times more likely to be a victim of violence.
Connor F.
My Initial reaction to the article was that stigmas in all walks of life affect society far more than we even realize. Facts which the article quoted about how stigmas influence test taking and other crucial activities in life (particularly those of a student)were most suprising to me. I almost became self conscious reading the article, wondering to myself, “boy I wonder if this is me?” Ironically reading about stigmas and how society drives them put me on the same path as the participants described in the study!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article there is most definitely a stigma associated with mental illness! I completely agree with the article on this point. I do believe that this probably, “may stem from media portrayals of mental illness—particularly in the news”. Movies such as Shutter Island only give flight to superstitious ideas that all psychiatric patients are dangerous. This idea was probably installed in the human mind way back in medieval times where witch hunts were common place. However even more shocking is that “An estimated one in four adults has a diagnosable mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.” This means that the effects of mental illness are on the epidemic scale a long with cancer and aids if you will.
Ben V
For the most part I do agree with the articles findings because a lot of it seemed logical and I found myself thinking many of the same things as I was reading. I can completely understand why some people would want to with hold some information such as a mental illness away from somebody because the truth is that people are quick to judge and stigmatize. That type of news may be shocking to some and their views can alter, possibly resulting in them not viewing you in the same light that they once did. It’s interesting because not everybody is the same, so to compare one person to a stereotypical group doesn’t seem fair or accurate. One finding in the article I was a little skeptic but also interested about was when college kids had to reveal that they had a mental illness on a test. There scores were not nearly as good as the ones who were allowed to keep quiet and I think that something so simple as bubbling in your gender or race really does start to play with your mind and make you a little paranoid or unfocused because of the fear of being stigmatized.
ReplyDelete-Joe T.
After reading the article i found it fascinating yet somewhat upsetting that a large percentage of the general public feel unwilling to accept or be friendly with people that have mental illness's. The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival in my opinion was a great campaign because it allowed you to realize how many people with a mental illness contribute to our society on a regular basis. I also found it interesting that the effects of stigma can alter how well someone performs on a test. The study created by professor Quinn showed that people who answered yes to having a history of mental illness did half as well as those who kept it quiet. It's remarkable that after answering one simple question how your brain can shutdown or cause you to lose concentration.....Taylor W
ReplyDeleteKim B.
ReplyDeleteThere most definitely is a stigma associated with mental illness because people in general are quick to stereotype the mentally ill as incapable, violent, and untrustworthy. It is shocking to read in this article that people are twice as likely today than they were in 1950 to believe that mentally ill people tend to be violent. This just shows how inaccurate people’s stigmas of mental illness are because mentally ill people are usually the victims of violence, not the ones who initiate the violence. I agree with the findings in this article, mainly with the statement that family and friends can aid in the recovery of people with psychosis because by giving strong support, they can help the person to forget the daily stresses of their mental illness and focus on living a more stable life. I also strongly agree that if you focus on the competence of a mentally ill person, it will then lead to a greater tolerance because if you accept all that they can do, you will forget about the minor things that they cannot.
There is definitely a stigma associated with mental illness because of how the people affected are sometimes portrayed in society. I always thought that mentally ill people were incompetent compared to more healthy people but in reality, they contribute just as much, if not more to our society than people without the disease. I thought the conclusion by stigma-researcher JianLi Wang most frequently parallels other people’s convictions: “You can hold the belief that mental illness is a real disease and still be afraid of people with it.” I think this is the problem with not only accepting people with mental illnesses but also people associated with other problems. For example, most people can accept that jobless or homeless people are not always at fault, but that does not always make them feel less uncomfortable towards them. Thus, I agree that the anti-stigma campaigns need to focus more on the positive stories of people with mental illnesses. The best way to help mentally ill people be more comfortable in society is to make others recognize how normal they are. (Christine G)
ReplyDeleteI find it really awkward that 33% of Americans probably/definitely do not want to be friends with a person who has a mental illness, but that percentage rockets to 56% if asked to spend an evening socializing with that person. Isn’t spending time talking to a person necessary to become his or her friend? Moreover, the article states that spending time talking to a person with a mental disability actually reduces people’s tendency to link mental illness and violence, which in turn will act to reduce the general stigma against people with mental illnesses. If so many people really are willing to be friends with those with mental illnesses, how can this stigma still pervade our society? Or do 20% of people truly believe that being friends with a person is just “friending” that profile on Facebook?
ReplyDeleteI find it really awkward that 33% of Americans probably/definitely do not want to be friends with a person who has a mental illness, but that percentage rockets to 56% if asked to spend an evening socializing with that person. Isn’t spending time talking to a person necessary to become his or her friend? Moreover, the article states that spending time talking to a person with a mental disability actually reduces people’s tendency to link mental illness and violence, which in turn will act to reduce the general stigma against people with mental illnesses. If so many people really are willing to be friends with those with mental illnesses, how can this stigma still pervade our society? Or do 20% of people truly believe that being friends with a person is just “friending” that profile on Facebook?
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a stigma associated with mental illness. If someone has a mental illness, fear is instilled upon anyone who knows. It is somewhat similar to previous times when the general public was afraid of all African Americans or Irish Americans who had “need not apply” or alcoholics or even something as simple as a tattoo on someone’s body, a very personal choice. Over time, people and generations have grown. They have become increasingly tolerant of different groups of people. Of course, there is always the old generation, such as are grandparents, who are a little racist still because it is how they are born. However, the cycle will continue and soon the older generation won’t be racist but maybe intolerant to another old stigma. I also find that this article seems to biased in the fact that it mainly discusses how the mental stigma has been proven wrong and the anti-stigma campaigns. However, it does not talk much about the mental illnesses that are dangerous or the cases when they have been dangerous. It focuses on the positives of mental illness much like Knifton’s Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival.
ReplyDeleteInitially my reaction to this article is that of surprise. I was unaware of the majority of people (76 million) who were affected by metal illnesses of some kind and live in fear of being exposed, not taking the proper medication or receiving any kind of assistance. These numbers are astonishing and I think they resonate in my head simply because I realize that I, like many Americans, may be part of the problem. Based on the articles information it states that 33% of Americans would not wish to befriend a person with a mental illness and 58% would not wish to work closely with them. Thinking to my personal experiences before reading this article if I had been aware of someone with a mental illness then that might be someone who I would attempt to avoid, for several reasons based on what I have picked up in the news and society in general. However, after reading this article I now see that the majority of people with mental illnesses are not only incredibly nonviolent but also very prevalent in society today. It is then no surprise that this article strongly stressed society’s needed acceptance of those with mental illnesses.
ReplyDeleteLike with any disease or any problem or feature that separates one person from the general public there is a stigma involved. The stigma associated with mental illness is that they will be violent then most because of their illness. People have this fear because they don't truly understand what the mental illness is and how it affects the person. People just assume that the illness will cause the individual to be more violent than someone without the illness. The media is in part responsible for this stigma because whenever something unusual happens to normal people they may jump to the conclusion that the person was not on their medication so there was a mental problem that caused this horrible disaster. Many people fear what they don't fully understand and mental illness is one of the many problems that most of the general public doesn't truly understand. Many illness are not fully understood because they are complicated for the general public so most give up and instead of accepting it they fear it and want nothing to do with it.
ReplyDeleteKristen S.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article that there is in fact a stigma associated with mental illness. It is often a part of human nature for people to psych themselves out, so to speak. As shown in the study by Diane Quinn, students who were forced to admit they have a mental illness scored lower than those who were able to keep that fact hidden. The simple confession to having a mental illness clearly damaged the confidence of the college students, thus affecting their test scores. Studies show that over half of Americans would be unwilling to have someone with a mental illness get close to the in some way, thereby proving that people with a mental illness are strongly discriminated against. This being known to people with mental diseases, stigma in their minds rises because they are afraid to be ostracized. Another common component of human nature is the desire to be accepted; therefore increasing stigma amid the populace of individuals having a mental illness because they are afraid to be judged by the society we live in.
Cameron R.-
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this article I became both surprised and disappointed with myself. The reason for this is that I was making the same assumptions and stereotypes the article referred to. I too have continually made connections between mental illness and things like violence and incompetence. I was disappointed with myself because I have not realized that just believing these stereotypes can lead to distress for people that is “worse than the mental illness itself.” The example of the test scores also made me see how sensitive people can be towards their own illness. The fact that just answering one question drastically affected their entire performance was astonishing. I completely agree with the solution the article stated. The idea of telling positive stories of people who make contributions seems like a great way to educate people. Also, like the article suggested, the “disease-like-any-other” solution did not appear to be effective for emphasizing the amount of people who have a mental illness can easily cause fear. This article has allowed me to see that the stigma associated with a mental illness can really affect people negatively. In the future, I will try to be more careful with my assumptions.
ChrisM:
ReplyDeleteWow. The section in the article that talks about college students taking the GRE Analytic Test was really surprising. I never thought that answering a simple question about ones' own mental health could effect their thinking and performance so heavily. Even the graph at the bottom of the article called "Stigma by the Numbers" was surprising. 56% of Americans definitely do not want to spend an evening talking or being with someone with a mental illness and 58% do not want them working closely with them? Those are big numbers. It shows that more than half of the American population do not see mental illness in a positive light. Those are staggering numbers.
I am a little confused as to why the title for the page is called "The Military's War on Stigma" as this article does not feature much information on the Military's efforts against stigma. It shows the point of view of researchers and private organizations.
I had never realized the extent to which the media negatively impacts the way the general population views those living with mental illness. Not only do 50% of newspaper articles on mental illness in the U.S. mention violence, but I have also seen several fictional television shows that at some point have each presented an instance about a person’s act of violence and its relationship to his or her mental illness. It is unfortunate that the media has such power and influence over the opinions of the general population, because the fear of the mentally ill that it has instilled in many minds has, in return, made people with mental illness fear opening up to others about it. Also, maybe the general population’s fear causes them to be more violent towards those with mental illness, which would explain why they are “2.5 times more likely to be victims of violence than members of the general population.” Overall, everyone simply ends up fearing each other. However, I am glad that newer, more effective campaigns are being researched and executed, such as the new Canadian anti-stigma campaign, which is based on research “showing that contact with people who have mental illness tends to decrease stigma.”
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a stigma associated with mental illness. If someone has a mental illness, fear is instilled upon anyone who knows. It is somewhat similar to previous times when the general public was afraid of all African Americans or Irish Americans who had “need not apply” or alcoholics or even something as simple as a tattoo on someone’s body, a very personal choice. Over time, people and generations have grown. They have become increasingly tolerant of different groups of people. Of course, there is always the old generation, such as are grandparents, who are a little racist still because it is how they are born. However, the cycle will continue and soon the older generation won’t be racist but maybe intolerant to another old stigma. I also find that this article seems to biased in the fact that it mainly discusses how the mental stigma has been proven wrong and the anti-stigma campaigns. However, it does not talk much about the mental illnesses that are dangerous or the cases when they have been dangerous. It focuses on the positives of mental illness much like Knifton’s Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival.
ReplyDeleteMaya B
ReplyDeleteThere certainly is a stigma associated with mental illness, which is deeply rooted in American culture yet often overlooked. The majority of citizens is uncomfortable with or fear mentally ill people being around them, most likely because half of all newspaper stories connect mental illnesses with violence and tragedy. The stigma is displayed not only through data but also in everyday socializing. The word ‘psycho’ has crept into vernacular not as a clinical term, but as an insult.
It seems that mental illness’s stigma is a vicious cycle consisting of the media and the mentally ill. As long as the media continues to publicize a link between mental illness and violence (advertise the stigma), the mentally ill will continue to fear revealing themselves to family, employers, etc., thus preventing others from having contact essential to eliminating the stigma (upholding the stigma). This then leads to more people avoiding treatment, and therefore more rampant illnesses that can be used to further prove and reinforce the stigma.
This never-ending circle is one that can be broken. The media will not change unless given reason to by the public, so it is necessary for all people to help reduce the stereotype themselves.
Matt B
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe that there is a stigma associated with mental illness, but I also believe that it has dramatically decreased over time. For instance, it used to be that anyone who displayed even the slightest sign of a mental disorder (auditory and visual hallucination, anxiety, etc.) would be locked away in a mental hospital without any sort of real diagnosis. Yet, obviously things have not resolved completely. This is partly the fault of activists themselves. The main problem I found was associating mental illness with every other disease. Like Wang said, “You can hold the belief that mental illness is a real disease and still be afraid of people with it.” I believe this is so because once you associate mental illness with real disease, you associate it with other aspects of real disease, such as contagiousness. Even though it is obvious that mental illnesses are not contagious, that association will affect the subconscious, just like even though it is obvious that having a different skin color will not necessarily lead to incompetency, those who had to admit their mental illness fared worse on the GRE Analytic Test.
I agree with the author’s point that there is a stigma associated with mental illness. For example, the chart “Stigma by the Numbers” shows that more than 50 percent of Americans are unwilling to socialize, work, or become family members with a person with a mental illness. These findings are partially caused by the media, which in the United States has 50 percent of articles on mental illness mentioning violence and 34 percent mentioning criminals. The negative attitude towards mental illness even spreads to those with a mental illness, shown by Quinn’s tests that answering “yes” to if they had a mental illness made their scores drop. This shows that the negative attitudes of others towards mental illness affect those with mental illnesses, causing them to think less of themselves and get a lower score. However, the students that did not have to answer the question scored higher because they weren’t forced to think about their mental illness and the stereotypes associated with it before taking the test.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Corrigan’s findings and think that if more people would admit their mental illnesses, others would realize that mental illnesses are common and the stereotypes are false.
Danielle M.
ReplyDeleteThrough out reading this article, I agreed with everything it had to say. People view those with a mental illness as a different kind; one that cannot be trusted. I mostly had to agree with the positive ways to rid the thought of having violence associated with mental illness. By having remarkable articles in the news and news paper about the constructive contributions that people with mental illness can accomplish, this will carry the attention away from the pessimistic views and rumors about those with a mental illness.
Personally, I completely agree on the fact that today’s view on mental illness really does bring forth a stigma that people will do anything to hide, and overall brings forth a rather inaccurate and unfair perspective on those who do have mental illness. The fact that there are people like Julie who have to hide problems like this from their co-workers due to the fear of being negatively thought of didn’t shock me at all, as I find that many people will, as the article pointed out, immediately mark someone who did something bad as “off the medication.” What I found shocking was that there was a large portion of America who had a mental illness, which makes me wonder just how many of us are hiding, in fear of being negatively viewed. Subtle jokes like “you’re crazy” or “you’re psychotic” really show how derogatory mental illness has become, and I feel as though it can easily be connected to someone being sexist or a bigot. Overall, the article just showed me that the way we treat mental illness is wrong. It’s not a disease. It’s not contagious. But we still think that way, which I think needs to be fixed.
ReplyDelete(Jenna P)
Leora N
ReplyDeleteStigma is a mark of degradation associated with a person, and I do not think a mental illness should be stereotyped this way. Sometimes something devastating happens which is out of someone’s control, like a death, and impacts his mental health. This is something the person can definitely recover from. It does not mean he or she will forever be incompetent, or unworthy of employment, and I think it’s wrong to label them that way. Julie, for example who suffered from depression is now a successful lawyer.
I was shocked when I read this article, because I was unaware that the stigma of mental illness was such an issue. For instance, the fact that about 76 million Americans live in fear of people finding out about their condition is astounding to me. I cannot imagine constantly being paranoid that someone would suddenly turn their back on me or prevent me from being successful in my career. It is almost like people are treating it as a fatal, contagious disease and are afraid to “catch” it.
I was not very surprised by the articles findings; but, I was shocked that such a high percentage of Americans were unwilling to somehow be associated with a mentally ill person, I would have never thought those numbers would be so high. I really cannot see why so many Americans are fearful and prejudicial towards people with mental illnesses, especially when there is no real factual evidence supporting the claims that the majority of mentally ill people are incompetent or menaces to society. The fact that over half of the American population is unwilling to have a mentally challenged person marry into the family or even work closely with them is deplorable. The American public needs to be more understanding and tolerating when coming in contact with people that do have a mental illness. The public needs to be properly educated on how people with mental illnesses generally act, and not base their fears of off the few, rare negative news stories they hear. Without education, no real progress can be made. People that have conquered mental illness or are still living with it, should not feel ashamed, and instead inform the ignorant; education is the only way to break the stereotypical views towards people with mental illness.
ReplyDeleteRay V
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about mental illness a stigma is always involved. Whether one believes it or not the findings in this article prove that stigma and mental illness most certainly go hand in hand. Many studies have shown that a large majority of Americans have a problem with the thought of a person with a mental illness working with them or marrying into their family. I agree with the findings in this article because now that people believe that it is a disease they are afraid of mental illnesses getting passed down in their families. This idea came from the older campaigns, which were run to help ease the tension with people who have a form of mental illness. This effort was counterproductive because it scared a large group of Americans. The new campaign, that is explaining that normal productive people can have mental illnesses, is much more affective because it is showing that it is now more acceptable to have a mental illness in today’s society.
Joe K.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how hard someone tries, they will always have an opinion about someone before they even know them. This premature judgment can be caused by countless reasons. One of these is mental illness. There has been much hype about a supposed stigma associated with mental illness, and whether or not it exists. There is absolutely no doubt that it does in fact exist, and is a large problem in our society.
There is no gentle way to approach stigmatizing in America, and the facts essentially speak for themselves. Research by Bernice Pensocosolido of Indiana University found that 68% of Americans cringe at the idea of someone with a mental illness marrying into their family, and 58% said they even dislike the idea of working with someone with a mental illness. One can only wonder why these people think this. The consensus is that people are simply misinformed and led to believe this. According to a study by a Mr. Olafsdottir, 50% of newspaper articles focusing on mental illness mention violence. The media, whether it be the news or fictional television, lead the viewer to the assumption that with mental illness comes violent tendencies or some other unpredictable negative action.
This article has an anti-stigma bias revolving around the idea that the stigma of mental illnesses has a demeaning effect upon people and their behavior. The author glances over the concept that the media could partake in society’s views upon those who have mental illnesses, an issue in my opinion the author should have emphasized because of its major relevance to the topic. From my observations the media magnifies the stigma of mental illnesses and is the root of society’s views. The media has publicized the idea of having mental illnesses more than ever, but ironically it is because of this that people that are mentally ill feel like outcasts. An example is depression; it’s a very well known and widespread illness that is all over the media in forms of commercials and ads. The problem with this publicity is it creates the illusion that there is something wrong with the person and therefore debases them from the norm of society. This underlying issue I believe is the cause of the stigma and fear of admittance by those with mental illnesses. Only when people accept that mental illnesses do not make a person worse than others will the stigma disappear. Taylor F
ReplyDeleteWith the evidence provided within the article, there can be no doubt of the existence of a stigma on mental illness. The statements “there are several cases of people being denied admittance on the basis of mental health problems” and “68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family and 58 percent do not want … [them] in their workplaces,” clearly illustrate that the American population harbors a negative perception of the mentally ill.
ReplyDeleteThe article describes many interesting discoveries about the stigma as well as mental illness patients such as, patients hiding mental illness to prevent discrimination, the mentally ill having self doubt and feeling incompetent, and the media generally portraying the mentally ill as violent. However, the article’s criticism of the anti-stigma campaigns of the past as ineffective is debatable. Since each previous campaign approach focused on a different aspect of mental illness such as origins, frequency and eradicating negative perceptions, the whole effort can be seen as a process. As the adage goes, “Rome was not built in one day,” the previous campaigns likely improved general understanding of mental illness and gradually encouraged people to be more tolerant and were more important than the article described.
Besides poignantly stating the presence of a stigma associated with mental illness, the article provides background on its possible roots. Throughout the article, it is apparent that the stigma exists because of people’s fears of the unknown and different. Because people do not usually interact with someone they know is mentally ill, they remain ignorant of their behavior and personality and classify them immediately in a negative manner. The next step for the anti-stigma campaign should be to dispel the ignorance by encouraging social interaction with the mentally ill.
Alongside mental illness is definitely a stigma, the author clearly demonstrates this and the effects of the stigma on society. The stigma associated with mental illness is that it makes people violent and it inhibits people with the ability to think rationally. This stigma is extremely stifling even though information has been made public about the effects of mental illnesses. Sixty eight percent of people do not want a person with mental illness marrying into their family, even though tens of millions of dollars have been spent to reverse the bad connotation with mental illness many still believe in the stigma. Not only does the stigma cause society to distrust people with mental illnesses but it also causes the same distrust between those who have mental illnesses. Due to the stigma associated with mental illness, many people with mental illnesses refuse to take their medication and a study showed that those with mental illnesses can become wary of others with mental illnesses. In hopes to remove the stigma of mental illness psychologists are now looking at the origin of the stigma, hopefully this knowledge will change society’s view about those with mental illnesses.
ReplyDeleteIt is quite clear from reading this article that there is a stigma associated with mental illness. In the beginning of the article, Julie was nervous that people and co-workers would find out about her depression. She was worried that she would be judged about it and treated differently, like a violent criminal. Julie wanted people to see her for who she is, not by her depression. From the polls, more than half the people neither wanted to hire a mentally ill person, nor have a person mentally ill marry into their family. A large part of the population fears mental illness. This is mostly because they are quite uneducated about the topic. I feel that if mental illness was portrayed in a more accurate way through media, which would educate the population about it, people wouldn’t be so apprehensive towards it.
ReplyDeleteHannah S
I believe there is a stigma which is associated with mental illnesses. Many people who are diagnosed with a mental illness are skeptical of releasing their personal challenges with others in the outside world. Julie somehow managed to keep her chronic depression to herself for a couple of years, but when asked to see a therapist she would not partake in it. She admitted to, “being afraid that I(she) might have to disclose my(her) medical records for bar admission,” which in several previous situations individuals have been denied admittance because of their mental illness records. A stigma researcher at Indiana University came to Julies defense seeing as she had every right to be worried when it came to releasing notification of her mental illness to her place of work seeing as, “two areas where Americans are most stigmatizing are marriage into the family and work.” No one wants to be looked at differently in an environment they should feel comfortable because of something that is out of their control; hiding one’s personal challenges is both his/her choice and right so he/she will not be discriminated by the public.---Sara F
ReplyDeleteJustin K.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s completely wrong of people to fear others that have metal illnesses. I think the fact that people do think so negatively is completely horrible. The article makes a point of stating that the people who have mental illnesses are completely normal people but can be inhibited by the stigma connoted with their situation. By letting themselves be taken in by the stigma there are fueling the problem. Then the people who think negatively of the people with mental illnesses are too bigoted to see past the stigma. People fear things that they do not understand and it is no different here. The article states information on the subject may actually instill fear into people but I think it’s the person who takes in the information, not the information itself, is wrong. It’s necessary for these people to stop stereotyping and simply learn about and get to know better a person before deeming that they’re too dangerous or too scary. Unfortunately, such a change is very unlikely but it’s imperative for the people who can change to do so.
Van N
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I have both some agreements and disagreements about how people with mental illnesses are usually rejected when it comes to work. I do agree that people under extreme condition should not be allowed to work in a nine to five job or any other regular daily jobs, not because they might be violent in the office, but because they might cause bad effects/results to the company or business due to their illness. A person with an unclear head usually can't get anything done. Personally, I can't ever do anything right or get anything done when my mind is distracted or unclear. Though, I don't think that all people who have mental illnesses should be rejected by work places. People who are successfully cured and do have medical perscribed pills should be allowed to work. This is why I think that work place should include a GRE Analytic Test requirement in the process of hiring. I think this test can be the judge of deciding who is allow to work. Stated in the article Simply answering "yes" to that question caused some students' performance to plummet. Of the students who had a history of mental illness, those who had to disclose it before taking the test did about half as well as those who were allowed to keep quiet. This test seem very accurate, and it is important for a company to know if its workers are mentally able to work. About Julie's case, I understand why she doesn't want to share her secret about her mental illness to her co-workers. People tends to freak out when they find out that they are working with someone who is mentally ill. Though, she should have a personal therapist. I think her illness could get worse if she kept keeping it as a secret. It is good to have someone to talk to about your problems and help you to resolve them.
There is a large stigma associated with mental illness. Often the stigma has negative effects on whomever has a mental illness. The same goes with any kind of discrimination or segregation. Whether someone is excluded from something because of the color of their skin, or the functionality of their brain, the effects are the same. They can be especially taxing on someone who has a mental illness, because it increases the mental load that they have to carry, which already is heavy. If someone stops taking their medication because of it, it can hurt them more than the discrimination would. People naturally have a desire to be included, in some kind of group. Every thing that makes a person different from a group lessens the chances that they will be included in the group. The hardest way to deal with any issue in life is alone, so dealing with a Mental Illness can be especially difficult because of that. The choice of a person to expose or hide their illness is difficult; do they hide it and suffer on the inside, or do they expose it and risk being ridiculed on the outside?
ReplyDeletePhil C
I agree with the article that the whole society holds a prejudice against mentally ill. People just cringe away at the concept of being with a mentally ill. However, I disagree with the saying that the media is causing these prejudices by linking mental illness and violence. Of course I believe that majority of mentally ill are competent and belligerent, but there are definitely crimes that involves mental illness. In my opinion, the best way to get rid of the prejudice and stigma at the same time is to identify which mental illness is linked with violence and which are not and to educate that to the public. Then the media make sure that they specify which mental illness was involved in a crime. That way, people will start to get rid of their prejudices against harmless mentally ill and the mentally ill will finally get rid of their stigma. - S.P
ReplyDeleteBased on the evidence given in the article and my own personal experience, it is almost impossible to deny that there is a stigma associated with mental illness. This article had a special effect on me because over the summer, I met and befriended a really amazing girl. She shared with me that she suffered from chronic depression and bulimia. I was stunned and couldn’t help but blurt out that it didn’t seem any of that was possible, I didn’t notice anything ‘off’ about her. Luckily, she didn’t get offended and explained to me her situation. Most of which paralleled this article. For example, I was the first person she told because she felt that telling anyone back home would make her an outcast and increase her feelings of isolation. She feared people’s reactions and internalized public opinion on mental illness so that she postponed seeking help. However she faced her fears and grew to be a talented writer and an even better friend. Therefore, I agree with the information in this article. Moreover, public opinion can be changed by focusing on the competence of such individuals because having a mental illness can’t stop you from being a great person. –Alyssa D.
ReplyDeleteTo me the article seemed to be at least slightly biased towards anti-stigma mainly because there seemed to be no side for the stigma voiced in the article. Even though I believe the article is biased, after reading the article, I do believe that there is a stigma associated by mental illness. The article gave some very good points including the fact that you are put at a disadvantage if you put down that you have a mental illness in the GRE analytic test, which they showed by having some college students take the test. The article also stated an interesting fact that "people are twice as likely today than they were in 1950 to believe that mentally ill people tend to be violent." Because the increase in negative attitudes of many people has increase over time, I think there must be some stigma, small or large, because I believe if there was not one than the negative attitude would not have increased so substantially. I think it would be interesting to find out some of the pro stigma arguments to balance the anti stigma argument. If anything the balance would increase the reader's knowledge and understanding of the topic.
ReplyDelete-Daniel BC
I agree with a lot of what this article reported on. In the mainstream media one does not hear much of the mentally ill and when news of the mentally ill is presented, it is usually in a negative way. I was shocked that one in every four people have some sort of mental illness. This fact is eye-opening as it shows that every-day people can be affected by mental illness, not just those who are different from society. The article promotes the idea that people with mental illnesses are just like everyone else. They also prove that the vast majority of the mentally ill lead normal lives. There is definitely a stigma toward the mentally ill in society. The article points out that this stigma only makes things worse for the mentally ill. If society did not place a stigma toward the mentally ill many sufferers would admit their illness and seek treatment. The negative stigma that the media puts out towards the mentally ill needs to stop in order for more people to accept themselves and seek help for their illness.
ReplyDeleteAdam K
ReplyDeleteI believe that the findings of this article, “Stigma:Alive and Well,” can be taken as very truthful and realistic. In my experiences in real life, I have seen that mentally ill people are treated differently and in most cases worse than people without a mental disease. There has always been a stigma associated with mental illness. According to Pescosolido Phd, a stigma researcher at Indiana University, one of his studies stated that 68% of Americans are unwilling to have a person with a mental illness marry into their family. People that have a mental illness are frequently stereotyped as being violent individuals. This is not a true assumption; it is the complete opposite actually, according to a study published in 2001 in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. This study showed that people with mental illnesses are 2.5 times more likely to be the victims of violence than regular people. In place of just claiming that people with mental illnesses are not dangerous, we need to also show other members of society how they are actually important members that have a lot to contribute. This tactic is taking affect in the Scotland campaign against mental illness stigma. Putting a face and a positive act to an illness will help integrate these people into society.
Personally, I think there is a stigma associated with mental illness. It seems that mental illnesses cause stigmas in most if not all cases. With “Julie”, the car accident was caused by chronic depression due to law school, thus leading to more insomnia, anxiety, etc. Also, I do agree with the findings of the article in a few ways. Most notably though, I’d have to agree that attitudes have clearly gotten worse over time as people are twice as likely to believe violent persons are dealing with some sort of mental illness. The article seems to be biased in terms of how stigmas are not only associated with mental illnesses, but violent people with mental illnesses. Throughout the article, the author keeps relating to how the populous tends to think a person with continuous violent actions must be dealing with some type of mental illness.
ReplyDelete- Steven W.
By:Kara A.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, there is a stigma associated with mental illness. Everywhere people look; they are blasted with the bad image associated with mental disorders, through television and other forms of communication. In the article, Stigma: Alive and Well, many anti-stigma campaigns were cited. It seemed like every campaign that focused on improving the illustration of mental illness succeeded in one aspect, but had another consequence because of that achievement. This is proven in Scotland’s campaign, ‘See Me,’ which “reduced the number of news stories linking violence and mental illness, but had some unintended consequences” which was that people began writing stories “frequently depicting people with mental illness as objects of pity, for example.” This sparked my personal reaction of ambivalence. The fact that, even in the campaigns, they are singling out those with mental disorders may be a problem. This article stressed the normalcy of people with such problems, but the campaigns are setting them apart from the society anyway. Tolerance may be achieved, but many will still think that people with mental illnesses are different.
There is most definitely a stigma associated with mental illness. The article “Stigma: Alive and Well” explains many aspects of why the stigma of mental illnesses affect people so dramatically. Many people refrain from opening up about their mental illness because they are afraid of the consequences. Many believe that people will view or treat them differently and that they will also have fewer opportunities both socially and in the work force. The article “Stigma: Alive and Well” states that at least one person in each family has a mental illness, therefore, I feel that considering how common mental illnesses now are, there should no longer be a stigma associated with it. I believe that a person should not be judged by their mental illness because many people with mental illnesses are very competent and do not let it interfere with their lives. People should not be afraid to open up about their illness because having a mental illness does not necessarily make them any less competent, sane, or capable.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa M.
Julie (suffering from chronic depression) doesn’t want to be denied admittance into the bar association. She doesn’t want to have a stigma; defined as a mental or physical mark, characterized as a defect or disease. “Now a successful lawyer, Julie keeps her depression from her co-workers fearing how they'd react.” I believe that stigma is associated with mental illness; individuals will always feel that people judge and look at them differently. A study finds that 68% of Americans don’t want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family and 58% don’t want these people in their workplaces. More than half of Americans don’t want anything to do with mentally ill people, making them live in fear of having their disease discovered. The National Institute of Mental Health says about “76 million Americans live with the fear that others may find out about their disorder and think less of them or even keep them from getting jobs or promotions. People like Julie often avoid treatment worried they'll be found out and discriminated against.” I agree with an insidious effect and I believe that people view others with mental illnesses differently. People think that they are incompetent, irrational and untrustworthy. Jason W
ReplyDeleteOne reaction I had to this article regards how it presented “68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family.” If I’m not mistaken, mental illnesses can be passed down genetically. I personally would not want my children to have to deal with a mental illness. The article gave me the impression that this was an unreasonable attitude whereas I firmly believe it’s not. Furthermore, the article seemed to criticize the speculations about a mother drowning her kids. I don’t think such speculations are unfair at all. Hormones in a mother cause her to love her children unconditionally, so how can it be out of line to suspect that she has a mental illness?
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do agree there are irrational stigmas associated with mental illnesses. For example, when I hear someone has a mental illness, I think of that person as someone more likely to act violently. But this is because I wouldn’t think of depression or ADHD as mental illnesses – illnesses less likely to result in violence. People with schizophrenia or who lack impulse control come more quickly to mind which might explain connections between violence and mental illnesses in general.
Is there a stigma associated with mental illness? How so? Explain.
ReplyDeleteYes, people who have mental illnesses are often accused of being violent, harmful to themselves and those around them, and abnormal.
Do you agree or disagree with the findings of the article? Which? Explain.
I agree with this article because unfortunately, many people with mental illnesses are discriminated against, however there are many cases of mentally ill people who are just as normal as someone without a mental illness.
What is your personal reaction to the article? Why? Explain.
I think that the article did a good job of proving how society places judgements on people with mental illnesses; however I think that the article was also successful in trying to diminish these common stereotypes.
Did you find the article biased? How so? Explain.
I found the article to favor the mentally ill a little bit because the author seemed to be defending mentally ill people by using statistics to prove that they weren't as violent and crazy as many people seem to believe.
I agree with the position of the article in that much of society has a negative connotation of men and women with mental illnesses. The article states that 68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness in their family, and this is because of society’s stereotypical implication that someone with a mental illness can be extremely violent, when in actuality the vast majority of them are nonviolent. This is seen everywhere in today’s society and is well known, which is why governments around the world are providing millions upon millions of dollars on anti-stigma campaigns. However, the media is not helping. Their speculation and assumption provides a stereotype of men and women with mental illnesses by inferring that many terrible crimes happen due to an unstable mind. This constant barrage of stereotyping is giving anyone with a mental illness a bad name, and because of this many of those with mental illnesses are in constant fear that others will find out about their “handicap.”
ReplyDeleteThere are many various degrees of mental illness. People need to understand that mental illness can simply mean that someone has anxiety while driving a car or riding an elevator. Someone can be depressed because they have a disability such as blindness or deafness. These mild forms of mental illness can be easily helped with either medication or therapy. Many people need help and are afraid to get it because they do not want to be thought of as mentally ill. Todays media plays a huge role in the stigma connected with mental illness, the majority of things that are on the news are about bad things that happen in the world. When a "normal" person hears there is a serial killer in California, the first assumption is that the man was a pyschopath. By giving people this idea gives them the fear of mentally ill folks. If one of those "normal" people starts to get anxiety while driving their car, then they will debate wether or not they should take action in helping their sickness beacuse they do not want to be in the same category as the mentally ill people they see on the news. As long as there is a connection between mentally ill people and violence in the media, there will always be a stigma of mental illness. - Adam S.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though there is a stigma that goes along with mental illness simply because so many bad things are associated with mental illness. I agree with the article and especially the stigma charts that there is a negative stigma that coincides with mental illnesses. It shows one-third to three-fifths of Americans don’t want to be associated with people who have mental illnesses depending on the case. (68% don’t want one to marry into the family) I think I would be the same as “Julie” when she doesn’t want anyone to know she has chronic depression because it might jeopardize her acceptance into law school or even being allowed to take the BAR exam. The article shows that even 20% of people who have been educated about these illnesses still think they can be dangerous and 45% believed them to be unpredictable. My feelings toward the article are that people today hide the mental illness and will continue because of the stigma associated with the disease. Eric A
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is definitely a stigma connected with mental illness.Statistics even show it,fifty eight percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness working with them.Not only that, but sixty eight percent of people do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family. This is baffling to me because at least one person in every family ( one of four people) have/or do suffer from some sort of mental illness.One thing I learned while reading this article is that people who suffer from mental problems also suffer from the fear of the stigma. The university of Connecticut did a survey that showed that when people have to expose on tests that they suffer,they frequently score lower.I find it ridiculous that in every state bar associates ask about any past mental health issues. I find this ridiculous because it definitely makes people who need help,hesitant to get it.This is because they fear of how it with effect their future employment opportunities .
ReplyDeleteThe article does reveal a critical disconnect between the profiling of mental illness and its actual occurrence. This is clearly evidenced not only by everyday discriminations such as the standards of the BAR exam, but also by the general mindset of the community, the majority of which is prejudiced against mental illness in the family and in the workplace. In addition, studies referenced by the article show that this negativity ingrains itself into the behavior of people with mental illnesses, thus multiplying the already unfortunate situation. The findings of the article appear to have merit. The best way to affect change in someone’s attitude is with positive, not negative, reinforcement. Personally, as someone who has lived with several mentally-ill family members, I have seen a great deal of misunderstanding and unintentionally-harmful ignorance directed to them. Their lives, which are productive and fulfilling to say the least, would at least be happier without this stigma. On the whole, the article does a good job of supporting its findings without significant bias. It brings to light an old, and in modern society, increasingly harsh reality about the prejudice of people and the plight of those they target.
ReplyDeleteSamuel L.
ReplyDeleteThe article does reveal a critical disconnect between the profiling of mental illness and its actual occurrence. This is clearly evidenced not only by everyday discriminations such as the standards of the BAR exam, but also by the general mindset of the community, the majority of which is prejudiced against mental illness in the family and in the workplace. In addition, studies referenced by the article show that this negativity ingrains itself into the behavior of people with mental illnesses, thus multiplying the already unfortunate situation. The findings of the article appear to have merit. The best way to affect change in someone’s attitude is with positive, not negative, reinforcement. Personally, as someone who has lived with several mentally-ill family members, I have seen a great deal of misunderstanding and unintentionally-harmful ignorance directed to them. Their lives, which are productive and fulfilling to say the least, would at least be happier without this stigma. On the whole, the article does a good job of supporting its findings without significant bias. It brings to light an old, and in modern society, increasingly harsh reality about the prejudice of people and the plight of those they target.
Gina L.
ReplyDeleteAs the title of the article states, stigma is “alive and well” for those with mental illnesses. Despite efforts of anti-stigma campaigns, “Americans may be as suspicious of people with mental illness as ever” and data even proves this. Currently, many people believe that mentally ill people are violent, regardless of the fact that “the vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent” Despite the facts and the anti-stigma campaigns, people still firmly hold on to their views because of the media. The media portray the mentally ill as violent, incompetent members of society, etc, and the people soak this all in. Nevertheless, the public opinion is slowly changing because of new methods of the anti-stigma campaign. This article taught me what exactly is a mental illness and not to discriminate against those with a mental illness. After reading this article, I learned what the effects of those with a mental illness have on our society. I never realized that those with a mental illness had such an impact on our society but I understand that people have no right to discriminate against them and people should pay more attention to the anti-stigma campaigns for the mentally ill.
Kimberly S.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it is quite clear that there is a stigma associated with mental illness. People are afraid that those with a mental illness are violent, and insecure and thus those who have the illness spend much of their life hiding it, and in some cases, avoiding treatment. They are afraid that their mental illness will prevent them from getting a job, or maintaining a personal relationship. I completely agree with the findings of the article. I am not very familiar with this subject but after reading the statistics I agree that the stigma associated with mental illness needs to be lessened. I found the many different campaign approaches interesting, but the one that stuck out was the festival in Scotland that chose to celebrate the capabilities and accomplishments of those with mental illness. I thought that was a very interesting and quite effective approach to dealing with the issue. My personal reaction was that I would like to know more about the topic. I have been in, and seen theatrical productions that deal with the mentally ill and I have often considered the stigma that was associate with them. I think that it is a stigma that is somewhat based on our innate fear of the unknown. I would like to see more campaigns that celebrate the accomplishments to solve this problem in an optimistic way.
I do believe there is a stigma associated with mental illness which includes the assumption that people with mental illness are more violent, irrational, more likely to commit crimes, or are flat out “crazy”. The article seems to defend people with mental illnesses with Dingfelder including statistics to prove the stigma as well as prove its inaccuracy which creates a bias. Nevertheless, I agree with the findings of the article that people tend to distance themselves from others with mental illnesses, that mental illness can affect someone’s health, and that some information on mental illness can result in scaring more people. I personally believe that this stigma may be true in some cases, as with other stereotypes, but it is wrong to assume that all people with a mental illness are more dangerous or unpredictable and think that in many cases these people are not that different from people without an illness. I was also disappointed in realizing that I never heard of any campaigns or efforts mentioned in the article and neither has anyone else I discussed the article with.
ReplyDelete-Sarah C. (3rd period)
I can absolutely agree that a stigma ties into a mental illness. One point that is made throughout the article is that people fear admitting or being told that they have a characteristic of a mental illness. That idea alone can set anyone into a totally different mindset. If they got told they are depressed, then they can suddenly be more mopey than ever before, which just makes things worse. If someone was told that they are insane, they begin to question it frequently in their head, furthering whatever mental issues that person may have. They feel that they ARE insane, and once that words been put out there, everyone considers him or her to be an outcast that needs to be locked up. I feel that this article can help certain individuals learn the true ideas behind mental illnesses, and perhaps discover that if people weren't so ready to diagnose a disorder for every flaw in a human being, then maybe we wouldn't have so many in fear of being diagnosed with a mental illness.
ReplyDelete