"The Myth of Mental Illness"

(In deference to Thomas Szasz and his book of the same name.)

It's obvious that some conditions are real and needing
treatment, but many diagnoses and treatments seem a
more arbitrary labeling of eccentricities as malignancies.
Manufactured notions of 'unwellness' due to the dreaded
and most dire of all conditions within a patient; not reflecting
the established social norms.

Others gravitate to states of 'illness' due to easily-influenced
minds that are told they are unwell (and said patient buying into
that diagnosis and all the nasty innuendo that conspires to attribute.)

Others have unwellness caused by their very marginalization
and ostracization which accompanies being labeled as 'mental defect'
in a world that hates all differentness; they are removed from the
benefits of inclusion and in fact suffer derision and brutality as a
result of being different.

Abuse and isolation definitely can lead to mental distress.

If 'mental illness' is the end result of trying to makes sense
of the collection of absurdities making up this world, who's
really to blame? Those who crack up, or those who are unwell
enough to pull off the duplicity and cutthroat participation?

As always, those in charge decide how history is written.

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Mental Illness: What's worse--the Cure or the Disease?

For those whom medication is a necessity in order to be able
to combat debilitating mental illness, it can take forever to find
correct types and levels of medications. During this ongoing
experimentation with mind and body, a person can be sorely
tested of patience and faith.

And, after finding a medication that works, life events can change
up the score, or metabolism changes and throws everything out
the window. People lose connection to a good doctor. Drugs
become too costly or unavailable. Patients develop a resistance
to even the highest levels of the drug.

Or, as often is the case, the horrible side-effects of the drugs seem
less palatable that the illness symptoms themselves. The choice
of taking medication to combat illness issues versus staying off to
avoid sluggishness, weight gain, and a host of other problems that
equally make life less joyful, becomes a real hardship. Choosing
becomes an untenable task.

This is all a moot point for millions who live in an area where there
is no access to any--or decent quality--doctors and psychiatrists
to begin with. Along with schools and assistance for the poor, funds
for mental health services are among the first cut, and their budget
was negligible to start with.

The stigma associated with mental illness prevents many from
self-identifying, seeking help, or taking medications to begin with.
Many try and amble through their days, attempting to convince
those around them there are no symptoms or issues. Hardly anyone
wants to stand apart from others, or be looked on as different.

If someone is dealing with the aftermath of a life of untreated illness
(joblessness, loss of family and friends, suicidal tendencies, lack
of awareness about their issues, misdiagnosis, imprisonment, drug
and alcohol addiction, ruined reputation, etc.,) they may feel as if
even seeking help for 'whatever' their problem is would be a hopeless
endeavor.

These are just a few of the hurdles to overcome to seek help for
a problem that is shadowy, difficult to properly diagnose, and hard
to treat. But that isn't to say "Don't try."

Check out the following links for different methods of online assistance
and referral!

Information on Mental Health Counselors

Mental Health America: Finding Treatment

Mayo Clinic; Treatment & Drugs for Mental Illness

Healthy Place: Online Support & Information

You don't have to go through it alone!

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