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Examples Of Negative Mental Health Stereotypes

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Negative mental health stigma and stereotypes are commonly perpetuated through tv shows and movies. Many groups of people are heavily affected by this from the mentally ill community to psychiatric workers to film writers. When trying to solve this issue, all opinions on the topic need to be taken into consideration. One of the main perspectives on this issue is commonly found from the people who suffer from mental illnesses. Perceived notions about their illnesses that commonly come from media portrayals are harmful to those who have the illnesses described. When the average person sees a character’s actions being explained by a mental illness, the average watcher will start to correlate that behavior with the mental illness. An example of …show more content…

An example of both would be The Good Doctor (2017). The plot involves Shaun Murphy, the main character who has autism and savant syndrome, being a surgeon while surrounded by other neurotypical doctors. Multiple times in the series it is questioned if Shaun can live alone, but he is also shown being the lead surgeon on many operations. He has essentially a photographic memory, but he has difficulty handling any situation that does not revolve around the medical field. These conflicting plot points, while interesting for the average viewer, are incredibly unrealistic and give improper ideas of how people with these conditions act. Every person with autism or a similar mental disorder does not need 24/7 supervision. Many can live fulfilling adult lives all by themselves and some do so without accommodations. Some characteristics from the show are accurate like Shaun’s difficulty with eye contact, his ticks, and repetitive speaking but most are blown out of proportion. Characters like Shaun Murphy, for example Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory (2007), correlate autism to savant syndrome when only a small number of people have both. The showing of both being connected in multiple forms of media causes the creation of a harmful …show more content…

Mental illness is an easy way to explain a character’s actions and it is more interesting to watch than an antagonist who has no apparent reason for their actions. Authors used to have revenge as the main motivator of their antagonists which quickly became a cliché due to how frequently the reasoning was used. A villain having a psychiatric disorder as the meaning to explain their cruel and horrific actions is relatively a recent thing in television or film with Psycho (1960) being the first well known example from either. Antagonists and their morals are easily some of the most appealing parts of a film or show. A person going on a mindless murderous rampage because of a family member or a friend being killed is a common occurrence in film. However, a person going on a murderous rampage because they are unable to control themselves due to a mental illness is a trope that is not as commonly used. If film writers must find other reasons for their characters to act in the negative ways that they do, it could be difficult to have the same shock factor that someone being unable to control themselves due to a mental illness gives. If creators are unable to use this trope and end up creating an uninteresting villain, they will lose money from the production of the film or show which could lead to them not being hired for other

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However, research has consistently found that certain mental health disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder and psychosis, are associated with an increased risk of violent behavior (Monahan, 1992).Studies of the relationship between mental health issues and antisocial behavior typically examine a range of behaviors, including violent crime, aggression, and substance abuse. For example, a study by Swanson and colleagues (2006) found that individuals with serious mental illness were no more likely to commit violent crimes than individuals without mental illness, but were more likely to be victims of violent crime. However, other research has found that individuals with certain mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, are at increased risk of violent behavior (Fazel et al.,

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Some say mental illness is an invisible disease, one that begins to eat someone from the inside out. Being mentally ill comes in many different forms: from basic depression and anxiety, to schizophrenia and depersonalization. These disorders can make a person feel as though they are losing control over what they are doing, as well as losing sight on what makes them normal. Mental illness can make a person do things that a normal person would not do, simple because of a person 's moral and ethical values. Sometimes, however, a person who is mentally ill commits crimes that are unforgivable.

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Media has an inclusive way of representing mental illness through the characters and plot. In They Look Like People, written and directed by Perry Blackshear, the main character, Wyatt, has an intense case of newly-manifested paranoid schizophrenia (Blackshear, They Look Like People, 2015). This film is an effective and unsettling neuro-psychological thriller that shows how deeply mental illness can take a toll on both the individual and their relationship with others. Wyatt and Christian are old friends who have been through some rough times in their lives and just so happen to bump into one another on the street. Christian brings Wyatt into his home and the two re-create their long-lost friendship.

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Along with depression and dementia, the various illnesses defined as psychotic disorders are significant factors in relation to gun violence. It is terrifying to learn that people suffering from these disorders are allowed to carry guns and use them as they please. Psychotic disorders are a collection of severe mental illnesses, including identity disorder, agoraphobia, and most prominently, schizophrenia and bipolar syndrome. Wynne calls schizophrenia “a pervasive impairment in bioprocessing,” meaning that the illness diminishes certain brain functions of a person. He suggests that a patient of schizophrenia might believe that everyone is out to kill them.

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Although many of these shootings occur every year, there many steps that can be placed in order to prevent them from occurring in the future. Creating gun laws that provide better background checks on the buyer and family can help lessen the chances of a mentally ill person from obtaining a gun. Spreading awareness of a person with a mental illness-or generally spreading information of the many different mental illness- can also help prevent mass murders such as Sandy Hook from occurring. Finally, researching ways to prevent mental illnesses from forming can help prevent these violent crimes. If the blame is on the illness, why not find ways to cease them from affecting more people?

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For one, Devin P. Kelley, who had assaulted both his wife and stepson before committing a shooting in Suther Springs, Texas. This link, while not as complex as the mental illness one, shows that it would be a good idea to look into someone’s past violence. Victor includes a quote from Paul Gill, from University College London which explains this pretty well, stating “‘Having a history of violence might help neutralize the natural barriers to committing violence’” (). Next, Victor writes about the sense of grievance found within the perpetrators.

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Socrates did believe that he was doing a service to the city, he also believed he could only do this service using his philosophy. He did not do this, because he had an ego or he thought of himself as someone great, but he simply just wanted to help people view their knowledge in rather different perspectives. At this point, most people in Athens were taught to believe in the same things which included the same religious views, political views, how they viewed their hierarchy, etc. Socrates wanted people to just come out of their known comfort zone. He questioned people, challenging their own knowledge, and allowing them to think further into depth of things rather than just thinking simply.

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In the case of the Aurora Colorado shooting, the perpetrator, James Holmes was seeing a psychiatrist that specialized in schizophrenia. He walked into the theater and opened fired. His classmates commented that he would laugh randomly and loudly at nonevents. He struggled to show basic emotions in his early childhood. He even wrote a disturbing story about an old women that hid a gun in her cane and killed wantonly.

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In Just Mercy, a veteran named Herbert Richardson suffered from “PTSD that continued to undermine his ability to manage his behavior” which eventually led to him committing a crime (Stevenson 74). This shows that people with mental disorders have no control over their behavior, so committing a crime is not their intention. They are unable to manage themselves properly and lack the conscious understanding to make decisions. People who struggle with a mental disorder “are somewhat more likely than members of the general public to commit acts of violence, research shows” (DeAngelis 6). This reveals that their mental state has a huge affect on their behavior.

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Furthermore, public acknowledgment of people with a disability is either ignored or spotlighted so significantly that the person feels like they stand out in the crowd unnecessarily. DiCaprio’s character, Arnie who has autism portrays stereotypical behavioural traits of a person with the disability. Throughout the film, it can be analysed that Arnie constantly fidgets with his hands, cannot sit still and has difficulty following basic instructions which can all be examined as stereotypical characteristics of a person with autism. Obviously Hallstrom had a bias and stereotypically view on the behaviour of those with autism as Arnie behaved like a child, no clear independence as his brother, Gilbert had to wash him and put him to bed every night. Socially, Arnie was in need of constant supervision as he had a tendency to perform acts that were previously recognised as inappropriate.

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People with issues such as suicidal thoughts, feeling of depression, and persons at risk of violence, should be given mental health treatment to prevent gun violence. Policies and programs that are providing people with these treatments, should be a national priority due to the great number of incidences in the United States. Also it is important to find out if a person truly is a harm to themselves and others. Also what needs to be certain is whether people who does such violent acts are in fact mentally ill, and the term is not being used loosely. According to an article by ABC news, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman says, “A person who needs treatment for mental illness often faces barriers such as insurance coverage and accessibility to care, in addition to stigma -- while people getting treated for a disease like cancer face fewer "disincentives" to getting the best care..”

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Much of the criminal activity that takes place today is heavily related to the lack of treatment for mental illness. According to the US National Library of Medicine, approximately 60% of shooter in mass shootings that took place in the United States after 1970 displayed symptoms of acute paranoia, delusions, and depression before committing their inhumane acts. I am sure that most of you are aware of the Sandy Hook shooting that took place on December 12, 2012. The perpetrator, Adam Lanza took the innocent lives of 20 students as well as the lives of 6 staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lanza had displayed key signs of mental illness as young as the age of three.

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Stigmatization of mental illness existed well before psychiatry became a formal discipline, but was not formally labeled and defined as a societal problem until the publication of Goffman’s book (1963). Mental illnesses are among the most stigmatizing conditions, regardless of the specific psychiatric diagnosis. Unlike other illnesses, mental illness is still considered by some to be a sign of weakness, as well as a source of shame and disgrace. Many psychiatric patients are concerned about how people will view them if knowledge of their condition becomes public Mental health stigma can be divided into two distinct types: • social stigma is characterized by prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given and has those types stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination Stereotypes are based on knowledge available to members of a group and provide a way to categorize information about other groups in society Prejudiced persons agree with these negative stereotypes, and these attitudes lead to discrimination through negative behaviors toward mentally ill individuals those negative perceptions create fear of and social distance from mentally ill persons. • perceived stigma or

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