MENTAL ILLNESS

Society's View of Mental Illness has changed over Time



Society's View of Mental Illness has changed over Time

Introduction

We all will have tough times in our lives when our emotions and thoughts are in turmoil but in spite of them we are usually able to manage and carry on with day to day lives. Unfortunately with some people, the continuous intensity of their emotions and the persistent chaotic nature of their thought patterns significantly interfere with their lives. Although there have been numerous advancements in the way of treating mental disorders over the years, there is still a certain stigma surrounding the views on mental illness.

Mental health issues affect people of all ages, genders, cultures, educational and income levels. The economic and societal impact of mental illness touches everyone in our society. The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2011) describes mental health as, “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”.

Chambers (2009) explains that as early as the 16th and 18th century society referred to persons suffering with mental illness as lunatics, mad and distracted. Bethlem was a hospital founded in 1247 and by 1403 most of the patients held there were considered lunatics. It was controlled by a court of 42 governors which held tremendous power over decision making and overall running of the establishment. As a member of the court the position was revered highly but also financial gain was also at the fore front of its agenda because it is those contributions which kept the hospital running. Consequently this left a system much flawed resulting in anyone entering Bedlam's four walls (Chambers. 2009).

Is power equally distributed and who has power and who doesn't? Giddens (2009) explains that power is the capabilities possessed by a person or group to make their interests or concerns count even when others resist. He goes further to say that power is everywhere; in our relationships and lastly he says that all conflicts are conflicts over power. Giddens therefore suggests that all relationships between doctor, nurse and patient are relationships of power (Giddens, 2001). Social class in Britain's recent past were dependent on the categories and concepts linked most famously with Karl Marx. Marxist perspective argues medicine has an element of control of who is sick, or well enough to work. If one is too sick it will threaten smooth running of society. If you accept that doctors are the hold tremendous power in their position, then you also have to accept that unequal power difference between doctor and patient (Darvill, 2010).

Discussion

Critical theorists adopt a paradoxical, although significant, approach in social science related to mental health analyses. The Critical theorists do not focus on mental illness, rather Fromm's “pathology of normalcy”. The only reason that this approach appears to be paradoxical in nature is because psychoanalysis insists that we are all ...