The words “mental illness” often strike fear in people’s hearts, which is likely due to the stigmatization it faces in society. It’s something that often lies hidden in the background of today’s prominent issues, even though it is quite common. One in 5 Canadians suffers from a mental illness of some kind. Despite its frequency in the world, there are great deals of people who know little about it. There are many controversies surrounding mental illness, including what constitutes as a mental illness in the first place, the consequence of labeling people and the use of pharmaceutical medication.
What is a mental illness anyway? Its symptoms are so broad, that it can be difficult to distinguish between what is normal and what is abnormal. People may say, how can one pinpoint what a mental illness is, when there are so many different types of people who experience the world in different ways? This question has some validity. However, there is a way to properly identify when a person is suffering from mental illness. When an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviour are troubling enough to cause significant distress and impairment in day to day functioning, this is when an illness is diagnosed. It’s normal for people to experience sadness and discouragement from time to time, to be unable to concentrate sometimes, to have personal rituals and habits, and to have odd thoughts and ideas that may be outside the norm. This is where people seem to be confused. Yes, it’s normal to have these experiences. But would you say it’s normal to experience debilitating depression so severe that you’re barely able to make it through the day? To have disturbing and troubling thoughts enter your mind constantly, and repeat themselves over and over like a broken record? Or to be unable to distinguish between what is real and imaginary? These are examples of what people may suffer through when experiencing mental illness. The symptoms of mental illness are so complex however, that find a correct diagnoses can be difficult and often takes time, particularly when more than one may be present.
Some people will say that labeling an individual with a mental illness can have damaging results for this person’s future. That labels will “follow people for life”. Therefore, it’s not important to pay attention to diagnosis. Well let me ask you this. Should we not diagnose a person with cancer or diabetes, due to the repercussions of labeling them as a cancer patient, or a diabetic patient? A mental illness is an illness just as cancer and diabetes is, and should be treated as one. To not recognize that a person may have an illness such as Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia for fear of what this label may do is only further increasing the stigmatization of mental illness. It’s saying that these illnesses are fearful and dangerous, so it is better to pretend they don’t exist. This is not to say that a person should be seen and judged only by their illness. It is important to treat these patients with respect and humanity, because they are people like any other. However it is wrong to completely overlook a person’s diagnosis.
Medication is another subject that creates fear and controversy. Not that this is completely unfounded. It is true that psychiatrists often overprescribe medication nowadays, and they can often have very undesirable side effects. They also do not always work as expected, and many patients may need to find one that works better for them, or opt to come off medication and choose a different route of treatment. Many times though, medication can aid patients in stabilizing symptoms and achieving significant improvement in their overall functioning. Medication would not be denied to a person suffering from cancer, so why should it be denied to a patient with mental illness who needs medication? Of course medication alone cannot cure what is wrong, but a combination of therapy and medication often work best. Making changes in ones lifestyle is also important towards recovering. There are social support systems available as well that can assist people in getting their lives back together and to become part of society again. Unfortunately due to our economy, the mental health system is lacking greatly in the adult population. For children and adolescents, these resources are much more readily available. More needs to be done to ensure that adults get the proper treatment needed in achieving a better quality life.
For a person suffering from mental illness, there is nothing worse than hiding in shame and continuing to suffer in silence. Our society has come a long way in the treatment of mental illness, but still needs to improve much further. Accepting diagnosis and treatment is a step towards recovery, even though it may be a long road. More education is needed for the public to learn about mental illness, which will increase understanding and compassion.
