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Mental Illness In America Essay

619 Words3 Pages

Mistreatment of Mental Illness in America There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to mental health, this can make talking about mental health a daunting task. One thing we do know is that less than half of those with a mental health issue are ever treated (McGinty, 2016). According to the National Institute of Mental
Health (NIH), mental illness is defined as: A mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder
(excluding developmental and substance use disorders). As well as, diagnosable presently or within the last year and meeting diagnostic criteria as specified by the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (National Institute on Mental
Health). This paper will look at the way mental health issues are …show more content…

Centuries of injustice and maltreatment of those deemed “mad” or insane are highlighted in Whitakers book. Some treatments used by doctors and self proclaimed healers included starvation, chaining patients to walls, bleeding patients, and temporary drownings (Whitaker, 2002). Often these treatments and tactics were seen as a success when more often than not these had very little positive affects on patients illnesses and in fact caused new problems. In the 1920’s the practice of sterilization on those with mental disabilities was common practice in America (Whitaker, 2002). This treatment was often involuntary or pitched as the best and in-cruel treatment option to patients (Whitaker, 2002). Moving forward to the 1940’s operations on the mentally ills brain became the latest “effective” treatment in mental health (Whitaker, 2002). Doctors claimed removing certain sections of the brain would “cure insanity”, when in reality this caused irreversible damage to the patient (Whitaker, 2002). However, over recent decades treatments and standards of patient treatment has continued to progress and moved further away from using inhumane, unnecessarily cruel ways of working with the mentally

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