Mental Illness: A Social Analysis

According to the Canadian Association of Social Workers “mental health is the capacity of the individual, the group and the environment to interact with one another in ways that promote subjective well-being, the optimal development and use of mental abilities, achievement of individual and collective goals consistent with justice and the attainment and preservation of conditions of fundamental equality” (Regeher & Glancy, 2014, p. 2). This definition gives us a broad overview of what is perceived to be mental health, I will use this term to base what mental health is throughout this paper as I examine my own thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs about what it means to live with mental illness. I will consider my own personal narratives …show more content…
It is the connection between your bio, social and environmental factors in your life. I have lived and overcame mental health issues during my teens, I feel like I am able to relate to what it feels like to live with a mental illness, I had an eating disorder and was depressed. During this time, I felt hopeless, alone, scared, and like there was nobody listing to my cries for help (as silent as they may have been). My beliefs at this time were that there was no help for people with mental illness. This belief stemmed from growing up in a small community of 450 people, there was never any talk about mental illness, there were no resources for people who had mental health issues and it was expected that everyone had positive mental health. People who had mental illness, such as addictions, were not labeled as having a mental illness they were part of the community and known as “hard cases.” I felt very vulnerable and did not want to talk about what was happening to me. I never thought that what I was going through was a mental illness, how could I have a mental illness. My attitude towards …show more content…
“There is no satisfaction that can compare with looking back across the years and finding you’ve grown in self-control, judgement, generosity, and unselfishness” (Ella Wheeler Wilcox). As discussed above my views on mental health have changed drastically over the years. I am more inclusive, open, and understanding of not only my own mental illness but of others who have mental illness. I am aware of the stigmatizations and social constructs that impact people who live with a mental illness. I fell that the greatest strength I have gained over the years is the ability to be understanding and compassionate towards those who show negativity and hatred towards people with mental illness. I use to get upset and form my own hate towards those who were not nice to others. This brought negativity into my life, the same negativity I felt when I was depressed. I choose to try and not have negativity in my life, I now work to educate, and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. I wish I had someone in my life at an early age to educate me and make me aware of the stigma associated with mental illness. This would have eliminated my own judgements that I developed such as living with a mental illness is negative, and there is no help for people with mental illness. Being understanding towards those who show hatred allows for me to work towards a world