CHOOSE A FOCUS IN MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY THAT YOU FIND INTERESTING. The focus in medical sociology that I have found most interesting is that of mental illness. Mental illness is a subject that is still not fully understood and definitely not yet widely accepted by the public. Mental illness is one of the only non-preventable illnesses that carry such a negative stigma. I believe that this stigma exists because no matter how much you educate an individual they will never know how it truly feels to have a mental illness. In the Auto Accident that Never Was by Judith Rapoport (p. 55-62), the author addresses the impact struggles and experiences of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder had on his everyday life. He talks about how he was driving down the road when all of a sudden got this overwhelming fear and anxiety that he had hit someone. This fear consumed him and eventually he returned to the sport of the “accident” only to find that nothing was there. Instead of easing his mind this finding brought him to a panic because now the police had the body and knew he hit them and he would go to prison for sure. Luckily this man was able to start therapy and medication and is now able to control these urges and live a normal life. This man’s story is a prime example of how different the treatment for mentally ill individuals is. When this man first sought medical help, they prescribed him medication and his symptoms increased so he stopped taking it. He later tried therapy and that, in conjunction with medication is how he has been able to stabilize his condition. In Everything Falls Apart by Clea Simon (p.
…show more content…
77-85), the author talks about the effects mental illness had in his family. The author discusses the struggles and the changes in relationships that took place as both his sister and older brother became consumed by their mental illness. Early in life the author was very close to his brother but has his brothers illness progressed they became almost strangers. He discusses his sister’s strange behaviors and how he was scared of her. His parents had been keeping it a secret that this sister suffered from schizophrenia. He talks about how is mother began resenting his older brother and seemed anger. And perhaps the most compelling part of the article is the struggle experienced by the father who was a medical professional. The father who had spent his life treating and health patients was perplexed by the condition of his children and despite his efforts was unable to cure them. The father had a horrible time coping with this realization. This article does an excellent job demonstrating the radioactive effect mental illness can have on the entire family. When one is suffering from a mental illness it does not just affect them, it affects everyone in contact with them. Mental illness affects your mood, behavior, and the very way you interact and communicate with others. Interactions and communication are what forms relationships. When those interactions change, so does that relationship. A change in a relationship may not affect the mentally ill individual as much as the non-ill individual because they may be unable to feel or comprehend it. However, the effect it has on the non-ill individual can be
77-85), the author talks about the effects mental illness had in his family. The author discusses the struggles and the changes in relationships that took place as both his sister and older brother became consumed by their mental illness. Early in life the author was very close to his brother but has his brothers illness progressed they became almost strangers. He discusses his sister’s strange behaviors and how he was scared of her. His parents had been keeping it a secret that this sister suffered from schizophrenia. He talks about how is mother began resenting his older brother and seemed anger. And perhaps the most compelling part of the article is the struggle experienced by the father who was a medical professional. The father who had spent his life treating and health patients was perplexed by the condition of his children and despite his efforts was unable to cure them. The father had a horrible time coping with this realization. This article does an excellent job demonstrating the radioactive effect mental illness can have on the entire family. When one is suffering from a mental illness it does not just affect them, it affects everyone in contact with them. Mental illness affects your mood, behavior, and the very way you interact and communicate with others. Interactions and communication are what forms relationships. When those interactions change, so does that relationship. A change in a relationship may not affect the mentally ill individual as much as the non-ill individual because they may be unable to feel or comprehend it. However, the effect it has on the non-ill individual can be