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Persuasive Essay On Mentally Ill

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There is a very common misconception about the nature of mentally ill persons. A majority of the general population assume that the insane are violent people. However, it has been proven that “Most individuals with psychiatric disorders are not violent. Although a subset of people with psychiatric disorders commit assaults and violent crimes, findings have been inconsistent about how much mental illness contributes to this behavior...” (“Mental illness and violence.”). There are always going to be violent, malicious people in this world, and illegal acts will always occur. However, there is no evidence to prove that mentally ill persons make up this population of criminals more than the average person does. Actually, there have been studies …show more content…

A number of people are against mental hospitals because of the possibility of wrongful institutionalizations for the mentally sane. There are a few cases in which people without mentally incapacitating illnesses have tried to claim insanity as a way to get out of their prison sentences. One such case being the infamous trail of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer was a prolific killer who raped, killed, and dismembered seventeen men and boys from the late 1970s to early 1990s. In his testimony, his lawyer tried to sway the jury and medical board to believe that he was mentally insane when he commit his crimes. His efforts were in vain, for he was deemed sane and sentenced to life in prison (Yoong). Some people are worried that some dangerous criminals, like Dahmer, could be given the easy way out by being sent to a mental hospital without an actual mental illness. This is why there is a qualified board of doctors and profilers who evaluate criminal health and actions while on trial. Only those who have committed crimes unwillingly, unknowingly, under the influence of a mental illness, and with remorse can be sent to a mental

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Frankly, I wanted death for myself Even though he admitted to murdering, dismembering, and cannibalizing seventeen men, and is known.” as one of the nation’s most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer is not considered insane at the time of his crimes. Born in Milwaukee in 1960, Dahmer was a recluse. He never had many friends and he was a mediocre student. After graduating, Jeffrey joined the Army and served in Germany, but was discharged for

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A controversial mass murder who is said to be mentally ill was Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer also known as the milwaukee cannibal is know for the dismemberment and rape of seventeen men. One can argue that dahmer was very mentally ill. Who in the right mind would rape and eat another human. Dr. George Palermo, A forensic psychiatrist thought otherwise.

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In 1992 a notorious serial killer and sex offender named Jeffery Dahmer was put on trial for the the sixteen brutal murders he had committed in Wisconsin. Along with murder, his convictions included cannibalism, necrophilia, and preservation of body parts. During the trial he had many doctors and experts argue whether he was criminally insane or whether he was sane and knew what he was doing during the time of the murders. Although he was diagnosed with multiple personality disorders, Dahmer was found to be legally sane and able to stand trial. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist acts insane, but there is evidence that it is nothing more than a sham.

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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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The myth that such individuals tend to be violent contributes to society’s fear and exclusion of individuals with psychological disorders such as schizophrenia. One result of this fear is a negative attitude, or prejudice, towards such individuals. This prejudice can lead to discrimination in the workforce and other social settings as well as negatively affect the development of relationships for such individuals. Also, the myth that a mentally ill person is unable to hold higher up positions in the workforce and/or be successful in sustaining oneself, can lead to the view that people diagnosed with schizophrenia, for example, should not be trusted with solitary tasks or larger responsibilities. This false viewpoint can inhibit personal growth and confidence in individuals with a psychological disorder.

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Penal institutions in America are already over packed making it harder for the prison guards to look out for everyone. Mental diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can make it hard to control for their thoughts and actions, which results in them committing malicious crimes, such as murder. But, these personas do not know that they are doing something terribly wrong. Because of this, they sometimes end up in prison. But with the insanity plea, the accused have a chance in defending themselves.

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Due to living in poverty, viable housing options are especially difficult to come by. Therefore, we see a vast quantity of mentally ill offenders living in disadvantaged neighborhoods or even homeless. Scott (2008) mentions that by living in these neighborhoods that are socially disadvantaged and inept, this does in fact increase the risk of violence, which can create a challenge in desisting from crime for mentally ill offenders. These offenders do not have a safe place to go home to, so having a mental illness, especially a severe disorder, can certainly place significant strain on the offender by not having adequate

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Back in 2012, James Holmes entered the Aurora Theater in Colorado, killing twelve and injuring seventy. During his court appearance, they were looking to give him the death penalty until he decided to plead insanity. After a couple psychiatric evaluations, they did find him severely mentally ill but not enough to be legally insane. Due to this, it came down to whether he would see a life sentence for each murder or the death penalty rather than be sent to a mental institute. The jury concluded with Holmes getting twelve life sentences and 3,318 years more for those wounded (CNN Library Par. 30).

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Mental illness plays a bigger role in violence than anything else. Most if not all who commit extreme crimes are clearly mentally ill, Erik Kain makes draws our attention

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In doing so, the media shapes the way the public views mental illness by over representing violence among the mentally ill. TV programs revealed an inaccurate portrait of the real world, presenting characters with mental illness as ten to twenty times more violent than those with mental illness in the U.S. population (Parrott and Parrott 643). While some mental illnesses do lead to violence, the majority of people suffering from mental illnesses would never ever hurt anyone. However, when one in four mentally ill characters on TV kill someone and one in two hurt another character, people today readily expect violence from the mentally ill, (Stuart 102). Society can understandably distrust the actions of people with mental illnesses as certain mental illnesses do result in psychotic breaks, but when this begins shaping how they treat all mentally ill people, it becomes a problem.

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Mentally Ill Inmates What percentage of the US jails contain inmates suffering from mental problems?The answer is fifty six percent of inmates in jail have some sort of mental problem or disability. Which is more than half of the population of inmates in prison. The mentally ill have been an important part in the us jails system since way back when the jail systems was founded.. The mentally ill have been an important issue since the beginning of the prison systems and with them there were always problems trying to house them in normal prison.

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The extents of persons with schizophrenia who obtain feelings for vicious wrongdoings additionally shifts by time period, reflecting contrasts in arrangements in regards to preoccupation of rationally sick persons blamed for criminal acts from the equity framework to the wellbeing framework (for further discourse, see Hodgins & Janson 2002). Most savage offenses submitted by persons with schizophrenia are strikes. While manslaughters pull in much consideration from the media, they are uncommon. In a few nations, all persons blamed for crime experience careful psychiatric assessments preceding trial. These assessments have been utilized to gauge the extent of crimes that are perpetrated by people with schizophrenia and evaluations fluctuate from 6 to 28% , demonstrating considerable variety starting with one nation then onto the next and inside nations by time period (Erb et al. 2001).

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People who suffer from psychosis have a mental detachment from reality and in most cases they see things that are not there, hear nonexistent comments,questions or sounds, and suffer from paranoia. Illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can cause psychosis, but conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder seem to be more prevalent in institutions across the country. It is important to distinguish that not everybody who suffers from these afflictions commits crimes. A large percentage of the time they contribute to society as most people do and are not violent. Who is More Likely to have a Mental Illness Men are more likely,by a slim margin, to be diagnosed with a mental illness than women.

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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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