WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER?
HOW DID MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS BECOME A TREND?
Generally speaking, there are three approaches to human health; spiritual, mental, and physical health. Conventionally, each one of them is being ostracized from the other and treated separately. However, the success of holistic medicine can be traced to its principle of pursuing health from a perspective of all-round inclusiveness, that is to say, treating mental health, physical health, and spiritual health together.¹
That said, the subject of mental health disorder is an important aspect of holistic living. It is interesting to note that mental health was approached, and is currently being approached, from two unhealthily extreme perspectives. Before we look at these perspectives, let’s look at what mental health disorder is and what symptoms to look out for.
WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER?
Mental health disorder can be diagnosed from a number of symptoms such as:
BIPOLAR DISORDER:
This is characterized by irritable and depressive moods with periods of normal behavior in between. Irritable moods involve anger, hyperactivity, and boastful remarks. Patients who suffer from bouts of irritable moods, without depressive symptoms, are also regarded as patients of bipolar disorder.
SCHIZOPHRENIA:
This is a chronic mental health problem characterized by frequent hallucinations and strongly holding on to false beliefs even in the presence of contrary evidence. This generally makes learning, work, or having normal conversations difficult for patients.
DEPRESSION:
It is the most common form of mental health concern globally and you may not to need go far before you find someone suffering from depression. Common symptoms of depression include fatigue, loss of appetite, low self-esteem, or feelings of body pain without any record of injury. In severe cases, it may lead to suicidal attempts.
DEMENTIA:
It is common among aging people and is characterized by sudden or gradual loss of cognitive ability. It affects one’s ability to comprehend ideas, construct thoughts intelligently, memory, and deterioration in social behavior.
DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS:
It is a general term used to classify mental health disorders that can be traced to illnesses in childhood that continue into adulthood. It is usually caused by delay or impairment in the development of the central nervous system. These disorders affect cognitive function, reduce their ability to cope with independent living, causes impairment in speech development among others.³
THE DISTURBING STIGMATIZATION:
People with mental illness have had to deal with stereotypes, stigmatization, and prejudice. In the United State, for instance, research showed that larger population treats people suffering from mental health disorder with stigmatizing behaviors.⁴One could easily think that stigmatizing patients of mental health was only perpetrated by people who were uninformed about it. However, research shows that experts in the field of mental health also show some level of stereotypes about mental health disorders.⁵
It needs to be emphasized that many of these stereotypes are misconceptions rather than evidence of conducted research. What is more worrying is the prevalence of unhealthy attitudes that attempt to ostracize these persons. The mainstream media has also contributed to popular misleading beliefs about people suffering from mental health disorders. For instance, it is common to find movie themes which portray these people as homicidal or harm inflicting, childlike in reasoning and expectations, and that they are the cause of their problems because they do not have a strong character.⁶
Some of these stereotypes are:
People suffering from severe mental health damage could be dangerous at any instant and as such should be kept away from normal communities or social gatherings.
They do not have the ability to make decisions for themselves so every decision about them has to be made by someone else.
They have to be taken care of like infants because they are childlike in mannerisms⁷
THE WORRYING ACCEPTANCE:
In recent times, the world is beginning to have a contrasting view about mental health damage. Popular celebrities have leveraged their mental health problems to buy the sympathy of the public. It turned in fame, acceptance, and increased their earnings. One popular example is the case of the popular show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ where mental health damage and family chaos were effective tools in buying public acceptance. Not only did the show become a household name, but it also influenced how people viewed mental health problems. Interestingly enough, “The Kardashians” not only “popularized” acute mental health disorders, but actually turned “manipulating public sympathy” into mega money maker, through brands and lifestyles.
Turning the family male figure into a female, saving the world with “mechanical bees”, and running for US President on mental health disorder credentials are only some of what “America’s Fist Family” has pushed down the throat of public conscience, as popular, in the age of Social Media selling you virtually everything and anything.
One can argue, because of things such as“Kardashians/West/Gener” endless saga, mental health disorder is now perceived as a quick way of gaining public sympathy and this further compounds the stereotype that people suffering from mental health problems are weak and would rather want to remain so to gain sympathy.
Rather than seek ways to better or manage a mental health condition, it is promoted as a means of getting certain benefits, most of which won’t be enjoyed by the mentally challenged person, unless you are Kardashian or Spears that is.
If you follow popular talent hunt shows, you would discover that quite a number of contestants who quickly scale up the ranks have an emotional story, sometimes a mental health challenge. If this approach to dealing with mental health damage becomes the norm, we may have a very big problem on our hands.
FINDING BALANCE BETWEEN STIGMATIZATION AND PROMOTION:
Stigmatization is never a healthy approach to solving problems such as mental health damage. Rather it deteriorates further the initial condition of the patient. Stigmatization can lead to low self-esteem, anger, isolation, or in certain cases suicide.
However, idolization and promotion which happens to be a direct contrast from stigmatization doesn’t appear to be the right solution either. Promoting mental health problems seeks to accept the problems rather than seek ways of treating or managing them. It paints a picture of perfection in imperfection where the imperfect can actually be improved upon.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although mental health damage is a problem of the mind, it has a direct effect on the patient’s body. Hence, it is only pertinent to attend to mental health disorder with a medical approach that combines every part of the human being in its treatment. If your guess is good then holistic medicine would be your answer and the reason is not far-fetched. This is because, unlike conventional medicine, holistic medicine perceives the human person as consisting of the body, the mind, and the spirit and they are interdependent.
In my book Lead A Horse To Water, you will discover how interconnected they are and how you can attain optimum health holistically. It is interesting to know that in such a noisy and health-threatening world, you can gift yourself a life of vitality by following the proven knowledge shared in the book. You deserve a life of happiness, fulfillment, and vitality and at Holistic Live Younger, we want to walk with you to days you’ve always wished for. Let’s make that a reality!
“PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS SEEKS TO ACCEPT THE PROBLEMS RATHER THAN SEEK WAYS OF TREATING OR MANAGING THEM. IT PAINTS A PICTURE OF PERFECTION IN IMPERFECTION WHERE THE IMPERFECT CAN ACTUALLY BE IMPROVED UPON.”
Bibliography
- Sakr, N. (2021). “Lead A Horse To Water.” pp. 8
- “Mental Illness.” Mayo Clinic. Patent Care & Health Information. URL: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
- “Mental disorders.” World Health Organization (2021). UR: https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
- Link, BG. (1987). “Understanding labeling effects in the area of mental disorders: an assessment of the effects of expectations of rejection.” Am Sociol Rev. 1987;52: 96-112.
- Keane M. (1990). “Contemporary beliefs about mental illness among medical students: implications for education and practice. Acad Psychiatry. 1990; 14:172 – 177.
- Gabbard G.O, Gabbard K. (1992). “Cinematic stereotypes contributing to the stigmatization of psychiatrists. In: Fink PJ, editor; Tasman A, editor. Stigma and mental illness. Washington: American Psychiatric Press; 1992. pp. 113 – 126.
- Brockington I., Hall P., Levings J., et al. (1993). “The community tolerance of the mentally ill.” Br J Psychiatry. 1993; 162:93-99.