Reflective Essay On Mental Illness

To understand what mental illness is you have to know what it means. Mental health is the state of our well-being. Mental health has to do with the mind. According to thefreedictionary.com mental health is “a state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life”. Mental illness are behavioral, psychological, and emotional disorders that effect the mind. Mental illness is not something that should be avoided. There many different types of mental illnesses. There are also mental healthcare services that can help people with their mental illnesses.

This unit aims to provide the learner with knowledge of the main forms of mental health problems according to the psychiatric classification system. Learners also consider the strengths and limitations of this model and look at alternative frameworks for understanding mental distress. The focus of the unit is on understanding the different ways in which mental health problems impact on the individual and others in their social network. It

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

I learned early on that there are many stigmas in the world against individuals with a mental health diagnosis. Those stigmas do not just affect the individual with the diagnosis; in fact those stigmas affect the family as a whole. I remember when I was in fifth grade a friend of mine told me she was unable to come to my birthday party. Her father did not think it was a good idea to associate with someone like my father or my family. Her father also felt that we should no longer be friends since one day I would become like my father, crazy, it is genetic after

Mental illness is a health condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling and behavior. Generally it is not the result of only one event, but a combination of genetics, environment and lifestyle. Its symptoms can differ according to the type of disorder, however to better understand how it works, we have to look at the effects culture and society have on it.

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.

First of all, the stigma associated with a mental illness has a major toll on families. Particularly, it leads to the idea that a family is weak. For example, a mental illness diagnosis can divide a family and generate differences on what steps should be taken towards recovery (Interview). A divided family may appear weak because not everyone will have matching ideas on what is best for the person with the diagnosis. In other cases, the potential of a family member’s being shamed can prevent him or her from seeking treatment. In detail, family shame most commonly comes from the idea that mental illness is a disgrace to one's family (Corrigan). Nobody wants to be a disgrace to his or her family, and unfortunately, sometimes that can lead to

During a mental health event the First Lady, Michelle Obama said, “At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country. [...] Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.” This shows that mental illness stigma in society is based on mental illness being perceived more negatively than other physical illness when it should actually be seen as the same. Stigma around mental illness has had very immense adverse effects on the willingness of undiagnosed suffers to not seek treatment when they need it. As a result of this one in five people with a mental illness will not get the treatment they need which has the effect of high suicide rates among the untreated sufferers. In an effort to reduce stigma around mental illness, so that more undiagnosed sufferers seek treatment, schools should devote more time to increasing awareness of mental illness and its effects.

Mental Health has been recognized, as the well-being at which individuals are able to cope with everyday stresses, and work productively while contributing back to their community. Mental Health America began in the early 1900’s by Clifford W. Beers, a former psychiatric patient who experienced mental/physical abuse during his stay in public and private institutions. It wasn’t until short after a reform group emerged, to stand against the abuse and ill-treatment at these institutions. In this paper, I will be discussing the history/background of Mental Health Services, and how quality, access, cost or other factors have changed (or how they haven’t). I also will be discussing the populations that benefit from this type of service and the significant issues, and or problems within the area that impact specific populations. Lastly, I will interpret national policy, legislation, attitudes, political climate, and how they impact or relate to the problems discussed, then I will address two current issues discussed along with clarifying each discussion.

Upon conducting research, I was unable to obtain the depth of information in which I wanted from secondary sources, where many of them were too basic. Consequently, I decided to send out questionnaires to professionals in the field of adolescent neuropsychology, where this enabled me to develop my key findings and refine my knowledge. This approach appeared to be the most useful as I could obtain diverse opinions on adolescent mental health and brain functioning. This decision was highly effective as I was able to substantiate basic information to produce an outcome, increasing the reliability and validity of my findings, solidifying my knowledge on alcohol’s effect on the adolescent brain.

The topics covered in these few weeks were “what is madness?”, “psychoanalytic and psychodynamic approaches towards madness” and the “biomedical perspectives on mental illness”.

i know that only a few of you care, but this is going to be a pretty long post talking about the state of my mental health.

I liked many aspects of this memoir. I enjoyed her writing style which was clear, but at the same time vivid and descriptive. Jamison (1995) did an excellent job describing her experience with lithium. Medication is not always a complete cure for diseases and side effects are unpleasant. Jamison made sure to detail the positive, such as how she got her life back together after a lower dose of lithium, and negative aspects of taking medication, such as the nasty side effects. Jamison also discussed the influence of other people’s reactions to medication. She was reluctant to take lithium because her sister berated her for depending on the lithium. In addition, Jamison believed that she was the exception to the idea that people with manic-depressive illness need to take lithium. She made sure to retaliate this by detailing the consequences of not taking lithium for her and her patient. All of these elements gave the reader a unique perspective on mental illness treatment from a professional and personal standpoint.

For a long time, I’ve struggled with my mental health and wellbeing. I’ve struggled with unbearable amounts of stress, anxiety, and depression. It all began in about seventh grade. It all started with my anxiety. I wasn’t familiar with what anxiety was at the time, so I didn’t know that that was what was bothering me. I remember getting to a point where I was too afraid to get up and turn a piece of paper in. My body would tremble with fear. I felt as if all eyes were on me; waiting for me to mess up. My anxiety led to a depression. Overtime, I had convinced myself that there was something wrong with me. I would tell myself “You can barely get up out of your seat to turn in a piece of paper or throw some trash away.” Slowly this developed into me not being satisfied with my appearance. The trivial things about myself were what bothered me the most. I wasn’t happy with my smile, my laugh, my nose, my teeth, my hair, my ears; there were very few things that I liked about myself. The thought of getting help had never crossed my mind. I never even imagined having someone help me get out of the dark place that I was in.

This report will first define what mental illness is, the distinctive characteristics that this illness places on this diverse population and the various impacts that mental illness has had on young New Zealanders, aged 12 – 18, their families and society. This report will also look at historical evidence of mental illness within New Zealand and relevant statistics and the resulting legislation and policies that look to improve the mental health of all New Zealanders.