Mental illness, also known as mental health disorders, denotes wide ranges of mental health conditions affecting the thinking, mood, and behavior of an individual. Some examples of mental illness are eating disorders, addictive behaviors, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. These mental illnesses often cause victims to become miserable and result in problems in their daily undertakings such as in relationships, school, and work activities (Ray, 2018). Society has a different understanding and perspective on mental illness. I feel there should be a comprehensive discussion on this topic to create awareness of such views’ divisive aspects. As a child, I remember how being mentally ill was considered abnormal, and we were advised not to be exposed to such individuals due to their supposed violent nature.
Society considers a mentally ill person crazy, and this wrong message is portrayed even in the media. I feel that the community lacks adequate information on mental health disorders to better address issues surrounding them. The perception of mental illness by a particular society ultimately determines the subsequent treatments they subject these individuals to in the end. For instance, the minority communities may consider mental health as some supernatural occurrence or that a person living with mental illness has been spiritually possessed. A study conducted by Putri and Prawiro (2018) in Indonesia explores the different aspects of how the Serang Community regards mental illness. The research focuses on three antinomies, namely inhuman-human, supernatural-natural, and nature-nurture.
The study highlights the supernatural to be concerned with “demon” or evil spirits, which are understood to be the cause of a mental illness. In the same way that diseases cause physical problems, the community believes that supernatural beings cause problems in the human spirit or psyche. On the contrary, mental health problems are considered bodily issues, and symptoms or signs like brain dysfunction, abnormal cells, or nerve disruption are considered probable causes of mental health issues. In the case of schizophrenia, an individual may experience hallucinations comprised of smells, voices, and non-existent experiences, delusions comprising of perceived persecutions or control, and bizarre and disorganized behavior. The physical aspect of mental disorders is the “natural” part of the antimony. When a condition becomes more abstract and intangible, the idea of mental health or psychological disorder becomes regarded as supernatural.
This antimony of supernatural and natural compels me to express that mental health equals physical health, and the two are inseparable. This is because mental health is equally important as mental health since for an individual to be whole, both psyche and body need to be in sync. However, the other antimony of inhuman-human expresses the discrimination the victims of mental health face, in terms of stigma and stereotype. The people exhibiting a possible mental health condition are regarded as inhuman and are not accorded the same amount of dignity or respect given to a normal human being. This is why in the aftermath of the gun violence in the United States, there was an assumption that mentally ill individuals were masterminds of the mass shootings (Metzl, & MacLeish, 2015). The human-inhuman antinomy shows the discrimination society portrays towards the mentally ill who need their help. A study done in Indonesia gives points of view that seem controversial but rather specific to the community. The ideas seem to be religious-based, which I tend not to agree with considering the scientific evidence present regarding the causes, signs, and symptoms of mental illness. When a particular society considers supernatural powers to be behind mental health issues, it becomes even hard to offer victims help in these communities.
Studies also show that these communities understand that mental illness depends on a person’s nature and self-control mechanism. They blame a person for their problems and consider them not confident or having no self-control. For instance, the case of food disorders leading to obesity and suicidal tendencies are all dependent on the individual’s self-control. In such scenarios, it becomes difficult to convince these people of the causes of mental health issues since they already have perceived notions.
The underlying thought is that studies should handle the cases of mental illnesses specific to the various societies of a person. The survey done by Putri and Prawiro (2018) has given another perspective on how society understands mental illness. It has majorly dealt with the cultural aspect of Indonesia’s community, thereby highlighting these people’s views on mental health. The researchers have supported their study with enough evidence considering the respondents in the survey, thereby elaborating the different antinomies presented. It means a community can hold different kinds of understandings on a subject and still operate normally. However, the study did not affect my beliefs about the topic, and they remain that mental health is equal to the physical status of an individual.
The current study has focused on changing the outlook society has on mental health, which is a great way to change the society’s perceptions on mental health patients. In reading about the various experiences of people suffering from mental illnesses, our understanding of psychopathology, causes, signs, and symptoms of mental health becomes informed to better care for these individuals. Therefore, communities require awareness campaigns regarding mental health issues to alleviate the stigma exerted on the individuals suffering from such conditions.
References
Metzl, J. M., & MacLeish, K. T. (2015). Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms. American journal of public health, 105(2), 240-249.
Putri, E.., & Prawiro, F. (2018). Social Representations of Mental Illness Among the Serang Regency Ciomas Community in Indonesia. Makara Human Behavior Studies In Asia, 22(2), 101-108.
Ray, W. J. (2018). Abnormal psychology. SAGE Publications.
