Argumentative Essay On Mental Illness

I’ve always been passionate about understanding others; stepping into their shoes and seeing, thinking, and appreciating the lives they live. I think it is important to take that extra step and see things from a different point of view. It is the only way to achieve a true understanding. I believe in this philosophy so much so, that it’s one of the main reasons I have this blog; to give others a glimpse of a life with mental illness. I’ve been in treatment for 2 months and 26 days and I think it’s time for another peek into my brain.

Neo soul artist, Angie Stone puts to lyrics what many Black women have been thinking about Black men for years when she said "you got mad issues, and you tend to refuse every opportunity to right your wrong". Because the women in our lives, who know us so intimately and care for us so deeply, can see when we are hurting or responding out of pain. But Black men young and old are walking around with anger, hurt, and stress which is literally sucking the joy out our lives through high blood pressure, impotence, fatigue, alcoholism, and many other physical and emotional manifestations as the result of poor mental health. However, many of us stubbornly refuse to get the mental health help that is needed to be better men - husbands, fathers, boyfriends, or just plain ole emotionally whole.

“Nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have some type of mental illness” (Goldberg). It is agreeable that there are many young children that deal with mental illness every day. Schools should be concerned for every student’s well being. Moreover, mental health is a part of a person’s overall “well being.” Therefore, schools need to make the mental health of students a stronger focus and implement plans to keep students mentally well and educated. To help create a positive, mental health aware environment where students feel open to seek help, high school students should be educated on how to be mentally healthy, be given a safe place to seek help, and be encouraged to monitor and maintain their mental health. Mental illness and mental health care need to be a more eminent priority in our society, starting with high schools.

According to NAMI, The National Alliance of Mental Illness 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health condition yearly. 1 in 20 people live with a serious mental illness like, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Not only does the person who is directly experiencing a mental illness suffer, but the family, and friends are also highly affected. NAMI states that 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental illnesses develop by age 24. Each year, 1 in 5 children from the ages 13-18 experiences a mental illness reported by NAMI. That’s a large amount of our young generation. Three out of four people with a mental illness report that they have experienced stigma, a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart according to the

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

Misinformation and misperception about mental illness can lead to the stigmatization of ourselves, our parents, our children, our spouses and others that we care about. The consequences of stigma range from social isolation to poverty to barriers to quality treatment and care. Stigma perpetrated on a grand scale can result in a system that reinforces the idea that people diagnosed with mental illnesses are unimportant and therefore are unworthy of access to quality and affordable care. Some media outlets (films and television) serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes and reinforce stigma. Although relatively few people with mental illness act out in

It not easy to determine how many people suffer from mental illness. This is due to the changing definitions of mental illness and problems classifying, diagnosing, and reporting mental disorders. There are social stigmas attached to mental illness, such as being labeled "crazy," being treated as a danger to others, and being denied jobs or health insurance coverage. These negative connotations keep many sufferers from seeking help, and many of those in treatment do not reveal it on surveys. Some patients do not realize that their symptoms are caused by mental disorders. Even though more is being learned about how the brain works a lot of information has still yet to be discovered, thus mental health professionals must continually reevaluate how mental illnesses are defined and diagnosed. The Surgeon General 's report estimated that roughly 20% of the United States population was affected by mental disorders and that 15% use some type of mental health service every year. Community surveys estimate about 30% of the adult population in the United States suffer from mental disorders.

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

When looking at the British society, mental health disorders are actually extremely common. When viewing the National Statistics, it stated that about one in six adults will have a mental health problem. Leading to an additional study, stating that around 30 individuals out of every 100 will

Living with a mental illness can be hard, but it is even harder if there isn’t any access to the proper treatment needed in order to get better. It could result with the person committing a crime and ending up behind bars. The severity of a mental illness the may have ranges. Many people who suffer from one can be a danger to themselves or to those around them. It is up to a mental health professional or an officer to ensure that they receive the help that they need. In order to do so, they should place those with a mental illness in a mental health facility.

Since mental illnesses cannot be seen, some people refuse to acknowledge their existence. I think that you shouldn’t be ashamed to be facing disorder like these and feel as if you have to hide it. You are not alone. Although, since the injury is not physical, most people would not know what you are struggling from unless you told them. Therefore, it is your choice. However some people think that you have a choice in the matter of having a mental illness are undoubtedly wrong. It is just like a physical injury, you did not choose to break your leg, it just happened whilst living your life. Those who suffer should not be ashamed for needing help of a therapist or medication, they are all steps on working through your illness and making your life

It is estimated that 43.5 million Americans, adults 18 or older, live with mental illness. This number represents 18.1% of all U.S. adults (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014). Stigma toward those who are seen as different have existed for as long as civilization itself, with the stigma for mental illness being one of the most prominent and long lasting that society has had to face throughout its ages (Arboleda-Florez & Stuart, 2012). Increased understanding and awareness for those individuals suffering from mental illness is necessary for us to overcome the impacts stigma has on our society.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning individuals are almost 3 times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder (National Alliance on Mental Illness). That is around 55% of LGBTQ people who will develop a mental illness. While some mental illnesses can be genetic, prejudice and stigma have created a higher rate of mental illness in LGBTQ youth because mental illnesses and disorders develop due to prejudice resulting in hate crimes, the stigma of mental health, and the homophobia and transphobia in the United States - all of which that efforts to change are slowly being implemented in schools and homes around the nation. Prejudice and hate crimes such as sexual assault, murder, and torture are not something uncommon for LGBTQ people to experience. For instance, in 2016, 27 transgender people reported to have been murdered, that is more than two people murdered a month (Schmider). However, we can trace it back to much earlier than that.

In life dilemmas, do you feel you’re unable to endure through daily functions? Then once the circumstance is resolved, do you often feel relieved? This occurrence is a part of everyone's life, but for my family, this happens every day with very few serene moments. During the peaceful times with my family, my mind and body are at ease and I wish that feeling would last forever. Unfortunately, the aroma of tranquility departs while I’m experiencing the motions of my demanding life. In stressful times, diligent quotes such as “This, too, shall pass” and “Everything happens for a reason” have helped accomplish my daily responsibilities. In the past few years, these simple, encouraging words have provided me the confidence to overcome obstacles with my family, anxiety, and depression. I believe, that mental illness has added an unbearable amount of stress and pain to individuals and family members.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is the the tenth leading cause of death in the United States as a whole, and the third leading cause of death for people aged ten to twenty four. Of those who die by suicide, ninety percent have a record of mental illness. It is unfortunate that rather than seeking understanding of mental illnesses, society tends to shove acknowledgment of it under the rug, lest they taint a reputation so many work tirelessly to portray. But it is not only now; during the victorian era, tolerance towards psychiatric health was so low that a woman would be considered unstable for mood change due to menstruation, pregnancy, and even for disobedience. In the mid 1800’s a Bostonian woman, Dorothea Dix, who was rumored to have a mental illness herself, spoke up about the mistreatment of mentally ill patients. She spoke of the horrible conditions where mentally ill patients were kept; chained to their beds in locked rooms with no outdoor access at all. Rather than deal with the issues on hand, by sending those who were unwell to the institutions Dix spoke about, the public was able to turn a deaf ear to the concerns of these patients. While there have been major improvements in the stigma against mental health, some things which did not exist to cause problems in the past, have greatly impacted the mental well being of millennials. Although there are many factors which contribute to one's mental and emotional health, the lack communication and breakdown of meaningful relationships due to technology, changes in effectiveness in the workforce, and the detachment from reality because of the web and social media, play an integral part in the mental and emotional health of society.