Mental Health And Its Effects On Society

The social problem I have chosen to write about is mental illness. This problem is important to talk about “because of the number of people it affects, the difficulty of defining and identifying mental disorders, and the ways in which mental illness is treated” (Kendall, 2013, p. 227). “About 57.7 million people, or one in four adults, in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). “Many of these illnesses begin in childhood or adolescence, with the most common problems being anxiety disorder, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance abuse disorders” (Kendall, 2013, p. 229). I chose this topic because I wanted to learn more about how mental illness is a social problem and I have been interested in learning more about mental illnesses and how to help people with mental disorders.

Although about 450 million people in the world currently are suffering from a mental illness, many untreated, the topic still remains taboo in modern society (Mental Health). For years, people with mental illnesses have been shut away or institutionalized, and despite cultural progression in many areas, mental illnesses are still shamed and rarely brought to light outside of the psychiatric community. The many different forms in which mental illness can occur are incredibly prevalent in the world today, and there is a substantial debate about the way that they should be handled. Some people are of the opinion that mental illness is merely a variance in perception and that it either can be fixed through therapy or should not be treated at

Throughout history people who have a mental health illness are not accepted in society. The attitudes of people in society, for example the workplace, is an important measure of the success of that society. Segregating people with mental illnesses from society, by putting someone in a institute, contributed to the attitude that an individual with mental illness are not capable of participating or contributing in society. These negative stereotypes are often portrayed in media, and influence the stigma of mental health illness being dangerous. This controversial concept of dangerousness states that individuals with a mental illness are more dangerous than those without a mental illness. Various forms of discrimination and exclusion in society is still present today. If society begins to understand mental illness, then they will judge a lot less. Success in that society will come when society accepts other people who are different

The history of mental illness represents the ways in which trends in psychiatry and cultural understanding of mental illness influence thoughts and attitudes towards mental health. The earliest records of mental illness show that many cultures have viewed it as a form of religious punishment or demonic possession. In ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, and Roman writings, mental illness was categorized as a religious or personal

Years ago mental illness was perhaps the most misinterpreted and mistreated illness. It is a disorder that is characterized by disturbances in a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behavior. At one time it was a sickness that no one would dare talk about. The humiliation was so strong it was looked upon as a crime. Patients would be “put away” not to be treated but to protect them from the community. It was an illness to be ashamed of and was thought to be brought upon by patients themselves. Mental illness refers to a wide variety of disorders, ranging from bipolar disorder or depression, to post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Each one of these disorders can cause anywhere from mild distress to those that impair a person’s ability to function in normal day-to-day life. In the movie “Call Me Crazy: A Five Film”, it looks at how each individual copes with mental illness and succeeding in everyday situations. By comparing similarities in the film with the differences about mental illness in ordinary life we can understand how the movie at times exaggerated mental disorders.

Mental health affects the cognitive, emotional, and social development of an individual. These conditions can be short term or can continue for the life span of the person. Mental disorders affect children from different ethnicity, races, and ages. The cause of most mental disorders is not known, but heredity, biology, psychological trauma, and environmental stress are all factors (www.webmd.com). Treatment for mental health disorders includes medication and behavior therapy. Early diagnosis and prevention is encouraged; the lack of such can lead to other issues in “school, home, and in relationship forming.” It can also begin to” interfere with healthy development and continue into adulthood” (www.cdc.gov).

According to the director of national health, “the States have cut $5 billion in mental health services from 2009 to 2012. While also distinguishing at least 4,500 public psychiatric hospital beds.” Decreasing funds for mental health has resulted in an overcrowded population of homeless patients who either spend their time on the streets, in prisons, or in coffins. Overtime, mentally ill patients have nowhere to go, the jail systems are failing to provide proper treatment, and the government has already reduced mental health fundings as it is. It is time to take a stand, and say yes to increasing funds towards the mentally ill and health facilities.

Mental illnesses are not a thing of the past. They are also our present and future. John Q. Adams once said, “Who we are, is who we were.” That quote accurately describes mental illnesses and the mental health of humans everywhere. A mental illness can be defined as a health condition that changes a person 's thought process, emotions, behavior, and/or their body. Mental illness causes a person distress and difficulty in functioning and can lead to atrophy. They are ingrained in the wiring of many and they override safety precautions that the brain has set in place against viruses. Mental health issues affect society in many ways, such as identification, treatment, and overall understanding; as a result of this they have been mocked and dismissed for most of history.

Mental illness has had a huge impact on our society. It affects the ways we perceive others and ourselves. Mental illness has likely existed for a very long time, likely it predates humans. But in humans very long existence, we did find about mental illness rather early in history, but our grasp was not firm on what it was, mesopotamia believed it had to do with their gods, and their treatment was prayer. This knowledge was probably lost by the middle ages, as they couldn’t explain the phenomena away with gods, so they generally expressed the worst cases as witchcraft. But regardless of its importance in real life, it also plays an important role in the story the yellow wallpaper, as it shows the effect of mental disorders on people.

Mental illness was first introduced in the mid-19th century. Mental illnesses are medical conditions that interrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning, they are medical conditions that reduced one’s ability to cope with the daily activities such as going to work or raising a family.

Mental health is defined as a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. We have been aware of mental health since prehistoric times, but we began making advances towards helping people with their mental health in the 1840s when activist Dorothea Dox requested for better living conditions for individuals that are mentally ill. In just 40 years, Dox effectively influenced the U.S. government, and got the funding to build 32 psychiatric hospitals all over America. Since then, we have made considerable progress, there are currently 5,627 psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. Though we have come far, we are still not far enough. Approximately 60% of adults, and nearly 50% of youth with a mental illness received no mental health services in the previous year.

The psychological composition and psychiatric challenges of Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill assisted them in becoming history's greatest world leaders. The mental suffering experienced by these men facilitated and contributed to many of their successes and achievements and increased their capacity for empathy, a deeper exploration of different states of minds and ways of taking action. Although, most specifically, being able to see clearly into the dark heart of events and express the nature of crisis' and provide ways out of terrible situations. A mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other individuals.1 Mental illnesses, particularly in the 21st century,

When people are mentally ill, they suffer social stigma, have higher health costs, and are at an increased risk of becoming poor. Every one out of five Americans is diagnosed with a mental illness. That 20 percent of the population can negatively influence the normal stresses of life, working productively and fruitfully, and being able to make a contribution the community. When humankind as a whole cannot recognize that mental illness is a serious issue, there is more harm being done than good. Any kind of mental illness can be caused merely by society, but also can worsen due to humanity not understanding how injustice can make a serious impact. The mental health problems that people face can be limited to society learning about the injustice of these illnesses.

This essay will analyse the statement “Mental illness is a social problem”. This essay will discuss the sociological perspective of mental health within the chosen concept of gender. The main aim of this essay is to discuss and debate ‘for’ mental illness is a social problem within the different gender roles. Gender is not only male and female, it also includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexual. In Australia there is a very large community of LGBTI. This concept will be analysed by using theoretical and sociological perspectives along with the structure-agency debate. Also the biomedical and social model 's role in relation to the issue. This will help support the statement that ‘mental illness is a social problem’. It is not logical to solely to blame society for all mental illness’ however, it is a strong contributor. This essay will also explore the social contributor to the high rate of mental illness sufferers in Australia. Also, the general consensus and attitude toward individuals with mental health and the ways that mental illnesses are stitgmatised in Australia and each of its states and territories.

Depression is more than just a feeling of sadness; it can easily gain control of an individual’s life if these feelings continue.