Mental Illness In Tracy Thompson's The Beast

Laurell K. Hamilton spoke in great words that, “there are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” Hamilton embodied a central state of mind of a person who is mentally ill. The wounds mentioned are those caused, and worsened, by traumatic events and public perception of a person with a mental illness. The women in the short stories that have been read embody an internal injury caused by an outward force. In “Story of an Hour”, “Rose for Emily”, and “Yellow Wallpaper” it is impactfully shown how traumatic life experiences can lead to and worsen mental illnesses.

People with mental health issues have been viewed and treated in a variety of ways within western society throughout time. Historically if an individual displayed behaviours which disrupted their function in society and defied social norms they were viewed as lunatics, insane or even cursed (Cowan, 2008; Elder & Evans & Nizette, 2009). It is from these past issues that many people still have unreasonable thoughts about mental illness; their misconceptions have created unreasonable fears and negative attitudes toward those who experience it. This negativity brings for many the barriers of not only

Self-pity and pessimistic attitudes remain a topic of discussion with a mentally ill patient, however the more valuable picture revolves around the stigma that the public holds towards those with a mental illness. Unrun Ozer, member of International Committee of National Journal Editors, acknowledges that, “Stigmatization is described as attributing someone in a way that would decrease the person’s reputation because the individual strays away from the general norms of the society” ( 225). Ozer clarifies that a stigma is an unfavorable viewpoint that society has on someone that is perceived as different. Those with a mental illness are susceptible to vulnerability because they are at a small disadvantage than the normal person. Negative connotations, such as adverse viewpoints and perplexing labels, affect the care and treatment process of those suffering because their compliance to treatment decreases. Society is too quick to judge and be ignorant if someone isn’t in perfect form, and Ozer reports, “ It has been reported that individuals with mental illnesses are seen by the society as dangerous, frightening, unstable, irresponsible, unpredictable, and having communication problems” (Ozer 225). Ozer declares that these labels are degrading to an individual with a mental illness, and cause feelings of introversion, decreased self-confidence, worthlessness, shame and despair. If we want happiness to be achievable for all, then criticizing individuals is a step in the wrong

ts our study of the stigma related to mental health illness. There is a lack of research investigating the portrayal of psychologists, those affected by mental illness and issues of mental health; this lack of research prevents any interventions from being made to protect those at risk. “With the continued portrayals of therapy in the media, it is important to consider how these images may affect attitudes and beliefs that can contribute to help seeking behavior”. (Maier, et al., 2013, p.1). Although there is research supporting that psychological and medical treatment are effective for a broad range of mental illnesses, only around 11% of those who have a diagnosable issue will seek help (Corrigan, 2004). The researchers of this article were interested in how the media portrayal of psychologists and mental illnesses impacts those who should seek therapy, through the formation of stigma. The hypothesis of the article study is formed around the idea that turning to a professional for help is not viewed as a sign of weakness when the psychologists are viewed as trustworthy and have experience.

In this article, Patrick J. Corrigan, Scott B. Morris, Patrick W. Michaels, Jennifer D. Rafacz, and Nicolas Rüsch discuss various approaches to challenge the stigma that surrounds mental

People suffering from mental illness and other problems are often the most discriminated, socially excluded, stigmatized, and vulnerable members of the society. They have to constantly struggle and face a double problem. Firstly, they have to struggle with the symptoms of the mental illness itself. They may face with problems such as illusions, delusions, hallucinations and other symptoms, which depend on a particular mental disorder. These symptoms do not allow the person to live a satisfactory life. They do not allow the person to work and independently achieve something in their life. And secondly, they are challenged by several stereotypes and prejudices, which gradually result in many misconceptions about mental illness known as “stigma”. Therefore, mental illness results not only in the difficulties arising from the symptoms of the disorder but also in the negative attitudes and beliefs that motivates the people to fear, reject, avoid and exclusion of people with mental illness. Some people with mental illness could lose self confidence, accept the prejudices and may also turn them against themselves. This is referred to as ‘self-stigma’, loosening the confidence of the person suffering with mental illness.

The ability to help bring a new person into the world seems like a very fulfilling career; however, helping those with mental illnesses seems to interesting, challenging, and fulfilling as well. The primary focus of a nurse should be the advancement of overall health. Patients deserve to be treated with respect. As a nurse, I

She explained that having a mental illness has been a rewarding journey because of the rewarding experiences she has had. Joni realized that to heal, that healing must come from the depth of oneself instead of relying on medication. Learning to make a conscious effort to realize that healing doesn’t happen overnight, but a journey. Joni understood that there were many voices in her head, but the challenging part was to find the voices that lead her to recovery. Knowing that Joni saw life as healing process, gives hope to other individuals facing mental illnesses that one day their healing process will be finished.

The media shows individuals as homeless, crying, dirty, and unintelligent and then puts the label of mental illness to it. Due to this portrayal of mental illness, many American’s have a negative picture in their minds about individuals who have a mental illness. The negative stigma may be because they have not known anyone with mental illness. Individuals may remember a time when mental illness was thought of as the person going insane which is a scary thought for some people. The speaker we had in class painted a picture of her neighbor in a padded room naked with a bucket (Patty S. 2016). This scenario is what comes to the mind of many who think of mental illness. Lack of information and education is the usual culprit for those who believe that mental illness only means insanity and unbearable life conditions.

We should work to help our clients understand that having a mental illness doesn’t translate to them being less then or irrelevant. This population should still be given the opportunity to be hired for a job if they are able to complete the tasks assigned to them. They should be able to participate in community activities without being excluded. They should not be discriminated against or put down.

One of the articles we read, “How Mental Illness Is Misrepresented in the Media,” describes the discrepancies between mental illness and the media’s portrayal of mental illness. In this article the author states that: “People with mental illness look like, well, everyone else” (4). I’ve always tried to follow the principle, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ but this article reinforced that value of being nonjudgmental. As we discussed mental illness we recognized the stigma about it and how the media influences and propagates that stigma. After reading this article and discussing it in class I’ve made a conscious effort to recognize my own prejudices and work through them and try to become more

Those problems and insecurities were never forgotten; they were attacked, and for the most part, had atrophied. While conquering the obstacles and escaping the singularity remains the greatest achievement of my life, the plight and gravity of mental illness remains, for most, unaddressed and undefeated. Isolation and suffering in silent agony only encourage blindness, but we must address and fight stigma to elucidate the depths, causes, and truths of depression. Only shedding light on this dark, ugly piece of the universe will

For health professionals, realizing the existence and influence of stigma is important for care planning. According to Emma Lindley, a senior researcher, stigma is “a socially mediated phenomenon which is co-created by social difference and prejudice”, though it is possible that “‘stigma’ may actually be a normal product of people’s limited cognitive resources in relation to social diversity” (2012). Before taking the course, I had some bias toward mental illness due to a lack of knowledge and empathy. In the N309 seminar, I watched a TED video presented

People have had mental illnesses since the beginning of time. In this generation, the right look and the right actions are what everyone is looking for. Perfection is the aim, to ¨fit in.¨ Though, when we see someone with a mental or physical illness, we automatically jump to the conclusion that those people are different and we can’t be seen with them for the sake of a simple reputation. People know that others who suffer from these illnesses are different, yet they don’t question what is happening to that person because of their mental illness or how much they’re outcast. This brief article is to show what exactly these people are going through. Mental illnesses such as dissociative identity disorder, social anxiety, bipolarism, post traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder make some people stand out. They make the lives of people who have them very difficult and stressful. They do understand though when people are being mean; they might not understand why, but they know you’re not being kind.

My role models have always been nurses. When in hospital wards visiting family members or even on hospital placement, where I have completed over 500 hours, my attention has always been on the nurses, admiring their amazing work ethic and their ability to change someone’s life for the better, this is when I decided that I belonged in this profession. I am passionate about mental health as I have personal experience of witnessing and overcoming these issues. To this day, many still feel too uncomfortable to talk about it and I want to change that. For a long time, I was often in denial about my own struggles with mental health problems and have refused help because I could not accept my diagnosis. I convinced myself that ‘others had it worse’; this mind-set eventually made my condition deteriorate without me realising. As a result, I now advocate that my friends discuss it just like a physical ailment so that their struggles feel as valid as a broken leg or an infected wound; it is a wound in their mind.