Use Of Metaphors In Mental Health

Throughout the book, Ordinary People, Dr. Berger used many unorthodox methods of therapy to help Conrad. Dr. Berger was able to make Conrad feel comfortable being himself. He used methods that would work for his situation. He also shows the use of psychodynamic psychotherapy, were the problems lays under the surface and usually the client. Berger also used many metaphors about how Conrad was feeling and doing to hide his emotions.

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

“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)

Mental illness is quickly becoming more and more common. There was a time when Americans never even knew many of the different mental illnesses and disorders were out there, and now it seems like everyone has one. This is because mental illness is overdiagnosed and there are statistics to prove this. The numbers of people being diagnosed with depression or anxiety has increased dramatically, along with ADHD. According to a survey that was done between 2001 and 2003, “46% of Americans met the standards of having a mental illness. These standards were from the American Psychiatric Association and the study was conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health” (Levine 2). That's almost half of Americans. There is no way that many of us have a mental disorder, and this is because they are taking normal behavior that everyone feels, and blowing it out of the water.

In Brave New world, Aldous Huxley portrays a dystopian society that has lost all values and morals of today's civilization. There is also the social change occurring in the form of people beginning to talk more openly about subjects that have previously been kept behind closed doors. All of these political and social issues are shown by using imagery, metaphors, and symbolism to express Huxley’s tone toward how present-day society will become at the rate of the social and political change currently taking place in the world.

Barbara Johnson’s critique focuses on the metaphoric, metonymic and voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. It focuses on the major character, Janie Crawford’s inner and outer change towards her various relationships. She focuses on the strengths, both vocally and physically, gained after her first slap down by her second husband, Joe Starks.

Untreated, they can result in a greatly lowered ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life. Mental illness can affect individuals of any age – children, adolescents, adults, and elders. Mental illness can occur in any family. Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes or heart disease. While we do not know the causes of these brain disorders, we do know that people can recover and live successful lives. (http://namimass.org/contact/who-we-are-2) Stigma erodes confidence that mental disorders are real, treatable health conditions. We have allowed stigma and a now unwarranted sense of hopelessness to erect attitudinal, structural and financial barriers to effective treatment and recovery. It is time to take these barriers

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.

Mental health has proven to be very fragile, but at the same time is ignored in society and is not given as much attention as physical health is. People with mental illnesses sometimes ignore their symptoms because they do not want to be seen as “different” or “unworthy” due to their psychological state. As societal pressures become more overwhelming and other environmental factors, like the increase of unemployment rates, many individuals are struggling to keep a positive view on society and this is beginning to have a toll on their mental health. Society has begun to idolize the vision of “perfection” and some believe that they are not good enough if they do not reach these high

“A pen is mightier than a sword.” Looks could oppose the aspect of one’s power. Power, in this case, lies within the insightful state of the mind of one’s well-being. Being said, each individual’s mind runs on a different perspective and often battles between optimistic thinking and depression. Susan Sontag draws an inspiring argument that the state of illness is not directly physical, but rather mental by applying the use of metaphors, elaborative explanations, and applying own references and experiences to create an illusion on mental illness.

I am sitting on an inflatable tube in the middle of Lake Michigan. I’m not sure how I got here. Suddenly, I hear “Lean back!”; I’m not sure why, but I just lean back. I’m so scared, I don’t know what is happening. I see a big white boat with blue dual canvas start to go fast, and I feel a jerk. I don’t know what’s happening! Is the tube sinking? Am I going to drown? What is happening? The boat is now going fast, and I’m told I can sit up now. I am kneeling on the tube for five seconds, and I say “OH MY GOSH! This is so fun!!!”. I can’t believe that I have never done this before. I was being pulled so fast that the wind dried my face from the splashing fishy water. There is a wave and my knees fly almost a foot off of the tube! This is the

Imagine a world where a third of the human population suffered from the same type of illness. Imagine a world where the government does little to help those who suffer from this terrible illness. Imagine a world where nobody acknowledged the pain and suffering that comes along with this illness. This is, unfortunately, the world we live in today. The illness is not one that others notice, but it can have terrible consequences to those who suffer from it. The type of illness are the ones that plague people mentally.

The case study was successful in determining the association of metaphors with anxiety and depression. The research finding of the data provides a detailed analysis of the association of metaphors with anxiety and depression. From the results of the research obtained in the case study above, it is clearly evident in the cases study that metaphors are associated with anxiety and depressions. The client “A” showed indications of generating metaphors as symptoms of depression. The dreams that she shared with me gave me a full proof of the metaphors she generated. The metaphors I identified from her dreams played a crucial role in enabling me to carry out the counselling sessions. Moreover, the metaphors developed due to the depression had a cultural basis (Semino, 2001). The fears and worries of the client were based on her cultural beliefs. She believed that her relationship with her ex-lover should have ended. She also believed that her mother should not be harsh on her but instead should support her. The case study thus proved to be

If we reach that far back in psychiatric history it would appear as though mainstream psychiatry has actually come a long way. To gain insight in to all disciplines of study it’s critical to venture back in time to get a glimpse of its history. It’s necessary to study the roots in an effort to accurately extrapolate where things have been, where things are, and where the vision is directed for the future. Advancements in health care have unfolded through trial and error. These progressive improvements in patient care are profoundly swayed by public attitudes and medical theories. Since we have had such difficulty in finding our way out of the stigma mental illness maintains on today’s society, it is not surprising that psychiatry continues to lag behind other fields of medicine in terms of advancements.

“I want to be able to talk to someone in a pub and say ‘I have been mentally ill’ and for them to say ‘That’s interesting, what did you experience?’”, said a survivor from the UK in 1997 (Sayce 18). Almost twenty years later and this man 's wish still has not come true. People may ask why, and the answer is because of the stigma that comes along with having a mental illness. Mental illness is something not often talked about because of the fear of being judged. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every four Americans has a mental illness, and only about 40% of them seek professional help (Hamid). People are being put into mental institutions instead of getting the help that they need to get better, because even people in the medical field are not understanding about this situation because they do not understand how it feels. The stigma and stereotypes towards mental illnesses are overwhelming, therefore people should be made aware of their impact and take steps to reduce stigma and stereotypes.