The stigma surrounding mental illness can be curbed by a change in the way we view the disease itself. Many people have misconceptions or beliefs that mental illness is a punishment from God or a demon who has possessed a person. This is simply a fact of nature that people are born with. Sometimes it only develops later in life, but cannot be seen as anything more abnormal that someone born with a cleft lip, for example. There are sever cases in which people cannot reach a level of sanity in order to interact with daily life, however, many people are able to live happy and fulfilling lives with the help of counseling, special care, and/or medications. People need to see that a person still exists behind the illness and we must move past our own insecurities to be more accepting.
Jessica
ReplyDeleteI agree with u statement about not knowing about a mental condition until later in life. It happened to my best friend. She did not get diagnosis until later in life. If she would have found out earlier maybe she would have been able to control it. I also wish there was more available to those who have a mental condition. This would give families and friends ways to cope with the disease
Jacqueline
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteIt’s sad but true that people still think that mental illness is a punishment from God or a demon that has possessed a person. In my culture if a family has a mental illness child, the parents would blame them selves or society would view that as karma. When there’s no explanation for why things happen the way it does, I think that people revert back to old belief (I’m not sure how to put this but it’s like people goes back believing that it's a punishement) to make sense to what’s happening. I wish that society would be more understanding toward people with mental illness. These diseases are not anyone fault and it’s really sad to see these stigmas and shame instead of help being offer.
Sa Phuong Huynh