The Characteristics Of Hidden Illnesses

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.

Mental illness becomes a bigger issue with a long lasting cultural stereotyped due to the manner in which it has long been labelled (Miles, 1988). Although mental illness is very much connected to instabilities in one’s mental health state, as previously mentioned, a person can be mentally healthy but still suffer from a mental illness. What is understood by mental illness is that it

The short documentary Crooked Beauty, directed by Ken Paul Rosenthal, narrates Jacks Ashley McNamara’s experience in a psychiatric ward and how her time in the facility shapes her new appreciation for her mental illness. One controversial issue has been trying to identify the true cause of mental illness. On the one hand, most people may think mental illness is simply a biological disorder that can be cured with a combination of medication and doctors demanding appropriate behavior until it sticks in the patient’s mind. On the other, McNamara contends that mental illness is a misconception with a patient’s oversensitivity, where it is harder for the patient to ignore certain events than “normal” people, and their doctor’s textbook knowledge. In McNamara’s mental institution, the psychiatrists simply trap her in a padded room and prescribe many different pills to suppress her mental illness instead of embracing her differences or showing her how to use those differences to her advantage. In attempt to prevent those who are mentally ill from feeling the same anger and frustration she felt, she demands a change in the line psychiatric treatment when she says:

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)

Thesis: In the story, mental illness is perceived as a sickness treatable by isolation, dissuasion of mental stimulation, and restriction of physical activity.

Years ago mental illness was perhaps the most misinterpreted and mistreated illness. It is a disorder that is characterized by disturbances in a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behavior. At one time it was a sickness that no one would dare talk about. The humiliation was so strong it was looked upon as a crime. Patients would be “put away” not to be treated but to protect them from the community. It was an illness to be ashamed of and was thought to be brought upon by patients themselves. Mental illness refers to a wide variety of disorders, ranging from bipolar disorder or depression, to post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Each one of these disorders can cause anywhere from mild distress to those that impair a person’s ability to function in normal day-to-day life. In the movie “Call Me Crazy: A Five Film”, it looks at how each individual copes with mental illness and succeeding in everyday situations. By comparing similarities in the film with the differences about mental illness in ordinary life we can understand how the movie at times exaggerated mental disorders.

Many people go about their lives not knowing they have a mental illness.Some like illnesses like anxiety and panic disorders are easily spotted,some are not. If they are not talked about you would never know that the person was diagnosed with anything.Some commonly known illnesses would be : ADD/ADHD(Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder),PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder),Autism, Depression ,and eating disorders like bulima and anorexia. The lesser known illnesses include : SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) Schizophrenia ,Bipolar and personality disorders. There is also a increase in dual-diagnosis , in which the person is diagnosed

Present Illness- Miss B reports left ear pain for the past two day. She states that the pain started as a dull left sided ache that was a 2 on the 0 out of 10 verbal pain scale and has slowly progressed to a 7 at present. She relates the pain as an ache that is not aggravated or relieved by anything. Miss B reports that she was unable to attend school today due to ache and came in for treatment. She reports that she has taken an over the counter pain reliever, unknown name and dosage, with little relief. She denies fever, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Miss B does report that she has not been eating as much as it seems to hurt to chew but denies difficulty swallowing. She denies change in hearing, ear canal discharge and dizziness during the ache.

Mental illness has become a topic of discussion in recent years more so than ever before. From celebrities to teenagers, everyone has had some sort of encounter with this issue, and the increased awareness of the importance of mental health has led to numerous advancements that are changing the lives of people everywhere. But, although it has recently begun to break societal norms and make its way into public discussion, mental health has long been an unspoken problem for many. In Elizabethan England, topics such as this were virtually unheard of. Shakespeare, however, became one of the first people to bring the idea of mental illness to light, giving many of his characters qualities that ordinary people could recognize as abnormal but did

“Anxiety is not rude. Schizophrenia is not fake. Mental disorders are not wrong” Mental illnesses are not something to be ashamed of. In today’s society, illnesses can be seen as weird or abnormal, but in reality, our bias truly stems that illusion. Schizophrenia, anxiety and other mental illnesses are underrated as illnesses and overrated as attention-seeking. People can be predisposed to mental illnesses if a blood relative has a illness, neglection as a child, excessive drug and alcohol use, and much more.

Within our society today, there is a continual debate over the topic of mental illness. Mental illnesses are events that plague the lives of over 18% of adults in the United States, and as much as 450 millions people worldwide. These beasts and burdens handicap the lives of so many that it is simply breathtaking. Not only has this topic been prevalent within our society today, but it also is a recurring point brought up in many classic works throughout literature. Some of these timeless tales include Of Mice and Men and Death of a Salesman.

There is an illness that is different from any other illness or disease that we know of. This illness has few, if any, outward physical symptoms. Most of the time, we cannot tell that a person has this illness just by looking at them. The illness I am talking about is mental illness; I am able to say that I have been affected by my father’s mental illnesses.

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.

Mental illness is a broad term encompassing all diagnosable mental disorders. And for some disorders— especially mood disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, and personality disorders—it’s hard to know if a person is suffering from such. You never know who might be the people affected; who are suffering because they are emotionally unstable; who are hallucinating and hearing voices inside their own heads; who are having dark thoughts; and those who have anxiety. It may be the ones who are close to you—your friends, your mother, your father, or even your siblings—or they could even be the person sitting right next to you. Some people who suffer from mental disorders may even be sharing laughs with you, and you wouldn’t even know.