Stigma: Building Awareness And Understanding About Mental
Illness
Mental illness can strike anyone! It knows no age limits,
economic status, race, creed or color. During the course of a
year, more than 54 million Americans are affected by one or more
mental disorders.
Medical science has made incredible progress over the last
century in helping us understand, curing and eliminating the
causes of many diseases including mental illnesses. However,
while doctors continue to solve some of the mysteries of the
brain, many of its functions remain a puzzle.
Even at the leading research centers, no one fully understands
how the brain works or why it malfunctions. However, researchers
have determined that many mental illnesses are probably the
result of chemical imbalances in the brain. These imbalances may
be inherited, or may develop because of excessive stress or
substance abuse.
It is sometimes easy to forget that our brain, like all of our
other organs, is vulnerable to disease. People with mental
illnesses often exhibit many types of behaviors such as extreme
sadness and irritability, and in more severe cases, they may
also suffer from hallucinations and total withdrawal. Instead of
receiving compassion and acceptance, people with mental
illnesses may experience hostility, discrimination, and stigma.
Why does stigma still exist?
Unfortunately, the media is responsible for many of the
misconceptions which persist about people with mental illnesses.
Newspapers, in particular, often stress a history of mental
illness in the backgrounds of people who commit crimes of
violence.
Newspapers, in particular, often stress a history of mental
illness in the backgrounds of people who commit crimes of
violence. Television news programs frequently sensationalize
crimes where persons with mental illnesses are involved.
Comedians make fun of people with mental illnesses, using their
disabilities as a source of humor. Also, national advertisers
use stigmatizing images as promotional gimmicks to sell products.
Ironically, the media also offers our best hope for eradicating
stigma because of its power to educate and influence public
opinion.
What Is A Mental Illness?
A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe
disturbances in thinking, perception and behavior. If these
disturbances significantly impair a person's ability to cope
with life's ordinary demands and routines, then he or she should
immediately seek proper treatment with a mental health
professional. With the proper care and treatment, a person can
recover and resume normal activities.
Many mental illnesses are believed to have biological causes,
just like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but some mental
disorders are caused by a person's environment and experiences.
The five major categories of mental illness: