Think of the ways society describes someone who suffers from mental illness: crazy, nuts, loony, psycho, insane, whacked, "not playing with a full deck," "has a few screws loose," "isn't all there"-- The list could go on and on. Think of the terms society uses to describe mental health facilities: nuthouses, loony bins, wacky shacks, crazy houses. If you tell someone that a loved one has been in the hospital for several weeks, that person will react with sympathy and concern. Specify that the loved one has been in a mental hospital for several weeks, and the reaction is usually not the same. After all, being in the hospital for kidney stones, diabetes, leukemia, or other "real diseases" is one thing, but being in a mental hospital is a different story... Right?
We throw around phrases all the time without even thinking about how they might hurt others. We use words with serious medical implications without realizing it. "I'm so depressed-- They're out of my size jeans and the sale ends tomorrow!" If people only knew what depression-- real, life-changing depression-- was like, I know they wouldn't use the term "depressed" so lightly. Similarly, it pains me to hear people jokingly call each other "psycho"; anyone who has experienced a psychotic episode knows it's far from a laughing matter. You might think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but by describing the ordinary difficulties of life with terms that have specific medical meanings, we end up trivializing the disorders and those who suffer from them. The mother of a friend of mine takes daily medication for depression and is constantly irritated by the casual use of words like "depressed;" when someone says, "I'm so depressed," she likes to retort, "Oh, you mean you're diabetic?" When the person says, "Huh?", she points out how inappropriate it is to misuse clinical terms and how it can be offensive to some.
Researchers are finding more and more evidence to suggest mental illnesses do have biological causes. Mental illnesses are passed down through family lines in some cases, which is why those who are admitted to mental hospitals are asked, "Is there a history of mental illness in your family?" Researchers are learning more new information about the link between brain chemistry and mental illnesses; too much of one chemical or not enough of another might be the cause of someone's depression. The medical community stresses the fact that mental illnesses are indeed serious physiological and psychological diseases, yet somehow, society doesn't always listen.
People still tend to think that you can just "snap out of" mental illnesses. If someone suffering from depression confides to a loved one that he or she is depressed, the loved one might respond, "Oh, just be happy! What do you have to be upset about? Snap out of it!" Someone with anxiety or panic disorder might be told, "You worry too much. Just stop worrying!" For some reason, society likes to think mental illness is a choice or a personality flaw; people who are suffering are just too weak or self-indulgent to "snap out of it" and return to normalcy. However, this idea is as ridiculous as telling a diabetic, "Just produce the right amount of insulin!" or telling a cancer patient, "Come on, just get rid of that stupid tumor!" Those examples sound humorous, but think about it: depression is a medical disorder with many biological causes, just like diabetes or cancer, but no one would dare tell a diabetic or cancer patient to just "snap out of it" or assume they're sick because they're not of strong personal character.
So what is the result of all this mistreatment of mental illnesses and sufferers? Thousands of people worldwide suffering from depression, anxiety, panic disorders, schizophrenia, and a variety of other illnesses are not getting the help they sorely need. Many people are afraid of being ridiculed by friends or even family members for suffering from something that's, more often than not, perceived as a sign of poor character, a scheme to get attention, or something that'll cure itself in time. It's no surprise that a huge number of people commit suicide each and every year; that's what happens when people are too afraid or ashamed to ask for help.
Our society needs to start giving mental illnesses and their sufferers the respect they deserve. No one mocks a cancer patient, someone with leukemia, or someone with muscular dystrophy, yet someone taking daily medication to treat mental illnesses is often the recipient of scorn. No one chooses to have AIDS, or Parkinson's, or cystic fibrosis, so remember that no one chooses to be depressed, or schizophrenic, or obsessive-compulsive, or psychotic. Until society as a whole learns to treat the warning signs, symptoms, treatments, recovery process, and sufferers of mental illnesses with the same diligence and dignity afforded to other diseases, we will continue to have a whole subculture of people suffering in silence and shame. We will continue to have a heartbreaking number of preventable deaths due to suicide. We will continue to hear family members of those who committed suicide say, "But he seemed so happy... I don't understand!" We will continue to see signs of self-injury and dismiss them as attempts to be noticed or to "fit in." We will continue to encourage the sufferer to shove his or her feelings inward, bottling them up until they eventually destroy his or her life. It'll take some work, but we can fix this cycle of shame. Think before you speak, watch out for the ones you love, and spread your awareness to others.
When The Cut Goes In Deep originally posted on 03-05-2000 and
reposted after remodeling on 06-22-2000.
Ronnie 2000-2004 ©
Having browser problems? Download the latest version of Internet Explorer.
Are you anti-Microsoft? Download Netscape or Mozilla instead.