Mental Illnesses In Teenage Girls

Mental illness is a taboo subject in our society. It is something that too often gets overlooked because these types of ailments " do not bleed ". The negative stigma that surrounds mental illnesses prevents access to care for those in need because either themselves or those around them don’t want to believe that they have one. Mental illnesses are not seen in the same light as a common cold or the chicken pox. If someone have a mental illness, they are seen as broken and potentially unstable. Look at all of the horror movies that surround insane asylums, or people with schizophrenia who are cast as psychopathic murders. It 's no surprise that mental illness has become something that people are in denial for or want to be kept hidden. And its not just the media that is

Studies have shown that one of the public’s primary sources of information regarding mental health disorders is mass media (Fawcett, 2015). This makes it incredibly important for movies, newspapers, and television shows to provide society with accurate depictions of mental health. While there are media outlets who portray mental health correctly, there are also ones that depict the subject via stereotypes or in a negative light (Fawcett, 2015). This can lead to people developing an unfavorable, or worse, inaccurate view of what mental illness truly is.

I found a fascinating and informative article from The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post is an online news aggregator and blog that was founded in 2005. The article discusses how the media is perpetuating a dangerous myth about mental illness and there are several pieces of information incorporated in the article that are used to support this statement. The information is pulled from a study and news media portrayals in the form of television and print.

“Come find me when you decide to not have a broken arm.” “You don’t look like you have a terminal disease. You’re just saying that to get attention.” “Can’t you just try to not get sick?” Nobody would actually say these horrible things to someone with a physical disease, and yet we find it okay to say it to someone with a mental disease. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) every year, about 42.5 million American adults which is about 18.2% of the total adult population in the United States suffer from mental illness. 56% of these people never did not receive treatment for their mental illness, and suffered

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.

“A mental disorder (mental illness) is a psychological pattern that is generally associated with a defect or disease of the individual’s mind. It causes a disability that may affect an individual’s behavior patterns in ways that are not part of one’s normal development or culture. Mental disorders are common in the United States. Within any given year, nearly 25 percent of adults and slightly over 20 percent of children are diagnosable for one or more mental disorders. While mental disorder appears to be widespread among the population, the main burden (or threat) emanates from about 6 percent of those who suffer from a debilitating mental illness.” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2011)

There are a wide array of mental illness one could have: Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, Addiction Disorders, and many more. These illnesses can obviously injure a person’s mental/ psychological state as it makes a more person more pessimistic It leads their minds to a more dark and gloomy path, pushing them towards negative thoughts/emotions. When someone experiences a mental illness, there is a usually a noticeable change within their behaviour and mindset. Depending on the person, the impact of a mental illness is visible for the rest to witness. Additionally, there are statistics which further push the existence of mental illnesses. For instance, the CMHA revealed that young with mental disorders was the second most hospital care expenditure in this nation. If not treated immediately, these mental illnesses will damage oneself and the people around

Mental illness is often wrongly portrayed in the United States’ media creating stigmatization and misrepresentation. Mental illness “refers to a wide range of mental disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). Examples of disorders include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Any “negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are called stigma” (Wilson et al., 2016, p. 2) and stigma can contribute to progression of mental illness because of its harmful effects due to misrepresentation in the media. In the recent years, the United States media has began to address the reprehension around the topic of mental illness, as it has began to develop into a rising problem in citizens across the nation. In the past, any portrayal of a figure or character with a mental disorder would be wrongly depicted, therefore, creating a distorted perception for the viewers (Stout et al., 2004, p. 1). Television shows have started to establish characters with mental illness in hopes to lessen the stigma behind ill characters due to the wrongful associations viewers may make. The way media viewers’ stereotype the mentally ill into categories can be harmful to the well being of those with disorders. Stereotypes can be so harmful that even medical professionals “contend that stigma is a major reason why one-fourth of the estimated 50 million Americans experiencing mental illness yearly will not seek

Mental illnesses are very common in the United States, with one in five of adolescents having a diagnosed mental illness and in the last year less than half of these adolescents have received proper treatment. The most common mental disorders, anxiety and depression, can disrupt daily life and result in suicide, which is the third most frequent cause of death in teenagers (“The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”). Ten percent of adolescents did not have health insurance in 2013 and those who did, had a very limited amount of mental health care services provided to them (“The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”). It has been proved that it is even less likely that adolescents who are poor, homeless, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender will receive the care that is necessary for their health and even life (“The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services”). Mental disorders are not only an

In the United States, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 10 to 14-year-olds (CDC, 2015) and for 15 to 19-year-olds (Friedman, 2008). In 2013, 17.0% of students grades 9 to 12 in the United States seriously thought about committing suicide, 13.6% made a suicide plan, 8.0% attempted suicide, and 2.7% attempted suicide in which required medical attention (CDC, 2015). These alarming statistics show that there is something wrong with the way mental illness is handled in today’s society. Also, approximately 21% of all teenagers have a treatable mental illness (Friedman, 2008), although 60% do not receive the help that they need (Horowitz, Ballard, & Pao, 2009).

In the United States, suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 10 to 14-year-olds (CDC, 2015) and for 15 to 19-year-olds (Friedman, 2008). In 2013, 17.0% of students grades 9 to 12 in the United States seriously thought about committing suicide; 13.6% made a suicide plan; 8.0% attempted suicide; and 2.7% attempted suicide in which required medical attention (CDC, 2015). These alarming statistics show that there is something wrong with the way suicide is handled in today’s society. In order to alleviate the devastating consequences of teenage suicide, it is important to get at the root of what causes it all: mental illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (2013), mental illness is the imbalance of thinking, state of mind, and mood. Approximately 90% of all suicides are committed by people with mental illnesses (NAMI, n.d.). This shows that there is a correlation between mental illness and suicide. If mental illnesses are not treated, deadly consequences could occur. It would make sense that if there is a correlation between mental illness and suicide across all ages, the same should be thought for adolescents. Approximately 21% of all teenagers have a treatable mental illness (Friedman, 2008), although 60% do not receive the help that they need (Horowitz, Ballard, & Pao, 2009). If mental illnesses are not found and treated in teenagers, some of them may pay the ultimate price.

It’s estimated that the onset of 50% of chronic mental illnesses occurs by the age of fourteen, and about 75% by the age of 24 (NAMI, 2015). The most common mental health diagnoses in the United States are mood disorders, which include the spectrums of anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Unfortunately, 60% of adults and 50% of youth did not receive medical services for their mental health conditions in the previous fiscal year (NAMI, 2015).

According to the World Health Organization, “Suicide has surpassed homicide to become the second leading cause of death among ten to twenty-nine-year-olds; in 2012, suicide claimed the lives of more than five-thousand people within this age bracket” (Onieal 14). Five-thousand young people felt that the weight of the problems they were faced with was too much to handle, and suicide was the only solution. As a teen who struggled with clinical depression and anxiety, this is an issue that is very real to me. So many of these suicides could have been prevented if we were more aware of how many teens are struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses, and offered our support and strength to those who feel too weak to hold on any longer.

There are lists upon lists of mental disorders and illnesses, and a lot of them people are not aware of. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bulimia, anorexia, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression are just a few of the most well-known and common mental illnesses. In America, about 18 million people are diagnosed with depression, 15 million with anxiety, 5 million with OCD, and 3 million with schizophrenia (Raley and Johnson 50). There are even more people

It's fair to say that widespread use of social media is a sign of the times. Another sign of progress is that Americans with mental illness who may have once lived in the shadows of society are no longer hidden away. Despite great strides, mental illness remains a topic that many of us are uncomfortable discussing. Social media and other technologies, however, are an increasingly important part in the global effort to move the conversation forward, and to replace stigma with knowledge and compassion.