I am sure that there are times in our
life when we can all be sad or blue. In fact, I bet we have all seen movies
about a madman and his crime spree, with the underlying cause of mental
illness. Perhaps, we might make jokes about people being crazy or nuts, even
though we know that we shouldn’t. But,
one of the biggest problems that I see in society is Stigma; specifically,
associated with mental illness. Stigma
is a sign of disgrace or discredit towards another individual; it is meant to,
set that individual apart from others. Stigma can lead to discrimination if the
individual suffers unjust or prejudicial treatment because of their mental
health diagnosis. So, what can be done
about it?
First, there needs
to be more education on mental illness. We have all had some
exposure to mental illness, but do we really understand it or know what it is? A mental illness can be defined as a health
condition that changes a person’s thinking, feelings, or behavior. These
changes cause the person distress and difficulty in functioning. As with
many diseases, mental illness can be severe in some cases and mild in others.
Individuals who have a mental illness don’t necessarily look like they are
sick; especially, if their illness is mild. There are many different mental
illnesses, including: depression,
schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and
obsessive-compulsive disorder, to name a few. Each of these illnesses
will alter the person’s thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors in distinct ways. These
differences can make others feel uncomfortable; and for some people, they don’t
like to feel uncomfortable, so they stigmatize or discriminate against the
person that is different.
Another step
that can be taken to combat stigma, is to stop using the term mental illness
and to start using the term neurological disorders. Mental illness infers that
the person is mentally ill, but science and technology shows us that there is a
biological explanation for both the psychological and physical dimensions associated with a mental health diagnosis.
Did you know
that “not all brain diseases are categorized as mental illnesses”? “Disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s
disease, and multiple sclerosis are brain disorders, but they are considered
neurological diseases rather than mental illnesses” (US Dept. of Health).
Interestingly, the lines between mental illnesses and these other brain or
neurological disorders is blurring somewhat. The National Institute on Mental
Illness reports that “As scientists continue to investigate the brains of
people who have mental illnesses, they are learning that mental illness is
associated with changes in the brain’s structure, chemistry, and function and
that mental illness does indeed have a biological basis. This ongoing research
is, in some ways, causing scientists to minimize the distinctions between
mental illnesses and these other brain disorders” (US Dept of Health). Let’s
look at this?
A healthy brain
takes in information, processes it, and causes a response. The US Department of
Health describes the process as “The basic functional unit of the brain is the neuron.
A neuron is a specialized cell that can produce different actions because of
its precise connections with other neurons, sensory receptors, and muscle
cells. A typical neuron has four structurally and functionally defined regions:
the cell body, dendrites, axons, and the axon
terminals”. This description is the way the
brain takes in information, processes it, and causes a response is simple. So,
why is this important?
Did
you know that “not all brain diseases are categorized as mental illnesses”? “Disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s
disease, and multiple sclerosis are brain disorders, but they are considered neurological
diseases rather than mental illnesses,” because Neurons communicate using both
electrical signals and chemical messages, when there is a problem with the
chemical messages, the neurotransmitters, an individual can develop a mental
health diagnosis. But, when there is a problem with the electrical signals an
individual can develop epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. An
example of this would be epilepsy, when a seizure happens there are too many
messages that are going around the brain at once, all at the same time. It's as
if two different messages are going around the circle at once during a game of
telephone. This makes it very likely that the messages are going to get mixed
up. During a seizure, the neurons send mixed up messages to your body, so the
body does things that you don't want it to (stair off-petite mal, fall to the
ground shaking-grand mal). If epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple
sclerosis can be defined as a brain disorders, then I don’t see why a mental health
diagnosis is called a mental illness.
We can combat
stigma by providing education, and by changing the terms that we use to
identify a person with a mental health diagnosis from mental illness to
neurological disorders. Mental illness infers that the person is mentally ill,
but science and technology shows us that there is a biological explanation for
both the psychological and physical dimensions
associated with a mental health diagnosis. Our society needs to adopt a biological,
psychological, and social approach to treating individuals with a mental health
diagnosis. By taking this kind of approach, our society can treat the whole
person and reduce stigma.
US Department of
Health and Human Services. (2012). National
Institute on Mental Illness. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/neurological/index.shtml
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