Mental illness is so trivialised! People actually can't imagine how a mental illness can lead to mortality. A lot more awareness like this needs to be done.
I have known various doctors who have been rather uncomfortable with depressives and have got rid of them by prescribing tranquilisers in ever increasing doses.
Spot on. However, at the risk of sounding cynical, I think people often DO treat other illnesses this way, given half the chance. Invisible chronic conditions (e.g., back disabilities) often annoy people who should be more empathic. And, for example, people often complain that people parking in disabled spaces are doing so illicitly because they got out their car and walked (as if all disabled people have a wheelchair).
I do agree with Dominic; living with both mental illness and physical (arthritis and fibromyalgia), I can safely say that physical disability is still viewed with an air of suspicion, similar if not the same to the attitude towards mental illness.
It just feels like if some people can't see it, it mustn't exist. I marvel at how society can still be so closed-minded.
This is such a wonderful expression of how mental illness is not understood. I note others have mentioned how people are treated that have other invisible diseases and agree, except that the only the mentally ill are not always able to have a normal conversation or to act in ways we think are normal, so we can be frightened by them and shun them. That doesn't happen with arthritis for instance.
Brambo ~ are you referring to Friko’s comment? If so, she is right in that some doctors are indeed uncomfortable dealing with depressives. My now retired much respected (by me) GP was quite open in stating that he found depressives depressing and didn’t know how I could do my job. (I don’t think anyone is taking issue that most serious illnesses require some form of meds – but at times, whether serious or not, more than meds is often needed and wanted.)
Dominic ~ you are correct in that those who have an invisible illness often cause annoyance or disbelief to others as if you can’t see – it doesn’t exist. Mental illness – now there is stigma attached there and it is completely different.
halfwaybetweenthegutter ~ yes there is suspicion with regards to physical conditions whether invisible or not, however there is much stigma attached to mental ill-health (even amongst those who work in it and suffer from it) and I think that is what your post was addressing?
You're right about mental illness: it carries more stigma than any other illness. Your post just got me thinking about how people stigmatise other illnesses - and especially ones people don't like to admit they stigmatise, as they'd look awful if they admitted it.
10 comments:
Mental illness is so trivialised! People actually can't imagine how a mental illness can lead to mortality. A lot more awareness like this needs to be done.
oops!
That's telling us;
I have known various doctors who have been rather uncomfortable with depressives and have got rid of them by prescribing tranquilisers in ever increasing doses.
Says it all!
Most serious mental illnesses require some form of medication, to deny that reality is as bad as doubting their validity.
Spot on. However, at the risk of sounding cynical, I think people often DO treat other illnesses this way, given half the chance. Invisible chronic conditions (e.g., back disabilities) often annoy people who should be more empathic.
And, for example, people often complain that people parking in disabled spaces are doing so illicitly because they got out their car and walked (as if all disabled people have a wheelchair).
I do agree with Dominic; living with both mental illness and physical (arthritis and fibromyalgia), I can safely say that physical disability is still viewed with an air of suspicion, similar if not the same to the attitude towards mental illness.
It just feels like if some people can't see it, it mustn't exist. I marvel at how society can still be so closed-minded.
This is such a wonderful expression of how mental illness is not understood. I note others have mentioned how people are treated that have other invisible diseases and agree, except that the only the mentally ill are not always able to have a normal conversation or to act in ways we think are normal, so we can be frightened by them and shun them. That doesn't happen with arthritis for instance.
Thanks for your comments folks.
Brambo ~ are you referring to Friko’s comment? If so, she is right in that some doctors are indeed uncomfortable dealing with depressives. My now retired much respected (by me) GP was quite open in stating that he found depressives depressing and didn’t know how I could do my job. (I don’t think anyone is taking issue that most serious illnesses require some form of meds – but at times, whether serious or not, more than meds is often needed and wanted.)
Dominic ~ you are correct in that those who have an invisible illness often cause annoyance or disbelief to others as if you can’t see – it doesn’t exist. Mental illness – now there is stigma attached there and it is completely different.
halfwaybetweenthegutter ~ yes there is suspicion with regards to physical conditions whether invisible or not, however there is much stigma attached to mental ill-health (even amongst those who work in it and suffer from it) and I think that is what your post was addressing?
Anna :o]
You're right about mental illness: it carries more stigma than any other illness. Your post just got me thinking about how people stigmatise other illnesses - and especially ones people don't like to admit they stigmatise, as they'd look awful if they admitted it.
Cheers for this response Dominic.
Anna :o]
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