Mental Illness: A Social Media Analysis

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.

The NAMI presentation that took place on February 2, 2017 had a really intriguing effect on me. NAMI stands for “National Alliance on Mental Illness”. NAMI provides the In Our Own Voice presentations, which are offered with the goal “to change attitudes, preconceived notions and stereotypes” about mental illness (NAMI North Carolina: North Carolina’s Voice on Mental Illness, n.d.). I am one to hold a stigma against those with mental disorders. The New Oxford American Dictionary says that, stigma is “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person” (Stevenson & Lindberg, 2011). Even after the presentation, I still do to some extent. The presentation did open my eyes to the fact that people with certain mental disorders can get the treatment they need to live some-what “normal” lives.

At his White House conference on mental illness, Obama said, "We whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions. The brain is a body part, too. We just know less about it. And there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love." It is normal to become emotional with this situation. It's not abnormal to not understand and know how to deal with this. All of us can make a difference to end this stigma. End this silence and use your powerful voice. Do not label or judge people with a mental illness. Treat them with respect as you would want to be treated. As our first step forward we must get the conversation started. We can take steps today that will have a significant impact on improving the lives of the next generation and others to come. We have the opportunity to make a difference during our lifetimes that will carry on, be the change, and take the

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

There are still many societies that view people with mental health problems as threatening or unstable. These attitudes often cause stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health problems. Many people who make these assumptions about people with mental health problems are often uneducated. Social workers today educate and help families that may may be struggling with this disease. Mental health disorders affect different people and are more prone to exist in areas where help can be found or is not affordable. Mental health disorders are often frowned upon by people because they do not understand it. Many people live throughout their lives not getting the help they need because of stigma on this topic. As a society Mental health diseases should be identified as problem that can be fixed and not be an identification for the person it is affecting.

Only if the society could become train to think differently about mental illness/disorders. I think most people forget the brain is an organ in our bodies; the most complex one at that. Thus, the brain can get ill like any other organs. Anyhow, the young people who participated in the documentary, Diaries of a Broken Mind of their daily life struggles are brave and courageous! I know many were trying to hide their illness from family and friends due to the mental illness stigma. I hope this “raw” video of their struggling with illnesses has changed if most at least few people perception or view about mental illness. It is almost impossible to break down the stigma of mental illnesses. Hopefully educating society will cessation whatever barriers/stigmas’.

Society looks at those with mental illness different ways; the most common are fear and scorn. Many people fear what they do not understand and mental illness fall under that. Because of lack of understanding of what mental illness is there is often fear and even scorn for those who have any sort of mental illness. Most of those who I know look down on those with mental illness and blame them for the symptoms they have. They feel like they are not working hard enough or just are crazy and should be sent away somewhere. That attitude can be seen commonly in media and those who are shown to have an mental illness loose respect because they have an mental illness.

I feel that the reason many people are so insensitive towards mental illnesses is because they don’t fully understand them, this is why NAMI is helping our society so

In our current society there is no love to be held for those who are classified as mentally ill. The mentally ill have become a stigma in our modern day society. When society hears the word mentally ill the unbidden thought of an unhinged man or woman walking down the street talking to themselves or yelling incoherently comes to mind. If they aren’t stereotyped as insane, then the mentally ill are generally seen as awkward, violent, incompetent, or weird. Even without the negative stereotypes, there are some who consider mentally ill people a burden on society simply because they don’t believe mental illnesses are actual diseases. For the people like myself who haven’t had any interactions with the mentally ill, we get our information about mental illness from mass media. The media is of no help to the mentally ill either, though the media may occasionally portray a mentally ill character as quirky or bighearted, they are usually portrayed as insane and coldhearted. The media unintentionally perpetuates the institutionalized fear of the mentally ill. If society is constantly associating metal illness with negative character traits, this can lead to fear and discrimination. Without the help of society backing them up, people with mental illnesses will ignore or disregard them, or not be given the treatment they need. An example of this is evident in Aviv’s article, God Know Where I Am, Linda Bishop ignores the mental illness she has been diagnosed with. Though Linda Bishop

Throughout history, many societies across the world have tended to banish people with mental disorders from the mainstream. Even today individuals with psychopathologies experience additional social handicaps and distress as a result of prejudice. Yet, according to statistics, one out of four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

Despite the milestones that we have crossed in regards to mental illness awareness in recent decades, “depression” is still thrown around casually by people who do not realize the weight of the word. It seems as though it is difficult for many to grasp the concept that depression is more than just a fleeting feeling of sadness or discontent; depression is a chemical imbalance that affects mood and behavior, resulting in feelings of dread and sadness to suicidal thoughts and actions. There is a stigma that comes with being depressed, one that negates the seriousness of the illness and depicts depressives as over reactive, whiny, and selfish. One of the very effective methods of purging this stigma is to give an account of living with depression to show how difficult it is to live with and persevere through, a method that Elizabeth Wurtzel uses in her memoir, Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America. A narrative of Wurtzel’s nadir in her battle with depression, Prozac Nation is a brutally honest, emotional retelling of her turbulent mental state throughout her teenage years and early twenties. Wurtzel’s story helps to bring awareness to the seriousness of depression, especially its emotional impact, occupation of the mind, and life altering complications. She highlights these issues through documentations of her tempestuous emotions, suicidal tendencies, self-obsession, hopelessness, and eventual recovery, cogently putting the reader in her

I am a huge advocate for mental illness awareness. I am also a huge advocate on not censoring what people are living and feeling. Life is about growing and with filters we cannot grow. I have always had a passion for writing but I have had complications where I could not always share my passion with the world but here I am now welcoming

From a young age I had been aware that certain people weren’t happy with who they were. I had a specific person in my life that sometimes hurt herself in order to feel better. Even though the problem was recognized, depression or self harm wasn’t something people in my life openly talked about. So I grew into my early teen years believing that any sign of mental illnesses was something that should be hidden. I saw it as a secret that couldn’t be discussed with anyone and definitely not revealed. I spent a majority of my adolescence on my computer, joining new sites and meeting different people. For the most part, it was a very positive influence. I’ve been exposed to certain things that have largely affected the goals I have for the future. It’s connected me to all parts of the world and allowed me to gather hobbies that I never would have had found if it weren’t for the sites I spent my time on. So many positive aspects emerged from my many hours online but like most things, it had it’s drawbacks. I was quickly exposed to blogs that promoted self-harm, suicide, depression, and self-loathing. What later came as a shock to me, was how other people on the site viewed them.

The growing population extends in diversity by the second around the world, for there is not a single human being identical to another. In terms of personality, looks, and interests, each individual creates a unique addition to our own developed society. Tolerance towards indifferences to the percent of population containing a mental illness needs to be expanded. Society needs to expose the reality of the multiplicity of individuals. Undeniably, different characteristics about a person should be identified. However, people should not be labeled with a diagnosis or a disorder due to their actions.The members of the world today have most likely experienced a form of mental instability at one point in their life. The education provided to the public concerning mental illnesses is limited, and perhaps not taken seriously. Addressing the problem and educating society 's people is the only way to reach a solution to a broad conflict. To expose the amount of people that struggle with an illness that disables them to act differently in situations would create a wider understanding of different reactions. Society has isolated these actions of mental illnesses as something to be ashamed of over time, and have discriminated these acts making them prohibited. To reach a solution of tolerance towards mental disorders, the combination of actions for addressing the problem, educating the public of the intolerance, and

Your statement, "those with mental illness are still looked down upon in this generation" struck me with sadness. I agree with you, the stigma continues to be great. How would the field of mental health, and subsequently, our society change if we could alter the public's perception, removing the shame and allowing sufferers to seek help openly? How much of our efforts should we focus on changing the misconceptions about mental health and what further steps can we take to foster that change?