I have friends and family members who are mentally disabled in one way or another. The mental disorders I am familiar with range from Autism to Depression to Schizophernia. I have seen my loved ones get bulllied just because they cant speak as well as someone else, or because one day they are so sad they cant get out of bed. I will be honest, it breaks my heart. All of the people I know are very good hearted people. My suggestion to avoid the discrimination is to get to know everyone before judging them. I think our society is to judgemental, and is too hard on people who are different. I would like to meet the person who defined different, and smack them. To me, difference shouldnt be based on mental capabilites, color, or size but rahter values. Everyone deserves a fair chance at a normal life whether they have a mental disease or not!
This is tricky, since there's always a chance that the mentally ill might be a danger to themselves and others. Really, the only thing to do is offer education about mental illness, so people can have a better understanding of the mentally ill. Prejudice comes from ignorance and the fear of that ignorance. It's like those "The More You Know..." commercials. The more people know about mental illnesses, the less likely they are to discriminate against the mentally ill.
I believe in treating everyone fairly and I can clearly remember when I was in fourth grade and would see mentally ill students or even students with learning disabilities going to different classes. I would always ask why they couldn't be in the same class as other students and whose idea was it to make those students feel abnormal or stand out from the rest of the student body for a disease they cant control. And even then, I was attending school in New Jersey and students with mental illnesses weren't even allowed in the school. There were trailers set outside for them as well as students with learning disabilities. I have to agree with Olivia, people with mental illnesses can sometimes be a threat to themselves and others and one reason why they tend to get teased is because people are ignorant of the disease and truthfully people dont know any better.
We all discriminate against people, and that can't really be helped. Mentally ill people never, ever ask to be the way they are; usually it's genetic factors or it's experiencing something horrible, like living through Hurricane Katrina or 9/11. Maybe getting the media involved with commercials about facts of mental illnesses, such as autism or schizophernia, like they are doing for drugs and alcohol. I know that alcohol and drugs are more of an important factor than this, but trying to increase awareness always helps.
I think that teaching people at a young age about common mental illnesses would be a good way to help people understand them. Going over depression, bipolar disorder, and other illnesses in middle school and high school health classes would teach Americans about them BEFORE they enter the workforce and before their opinions are set in stone. Many people think that the only causes of these disorders are traumatic events and bad situations. The truth is, chemical imbalances and heredity are the more common causes. No one should be discriminated against for something they cannot help.
Talking about mental illness helps a lot. There is less stigma attatched to a mental illness than there was in the past because of awareness- people in media and in families speaking out. There is still terrible inequity in our health care system regarding treating mental illness, not to mention shortages of mental health workers and facilities for treatment. The state budget keeps getting cut in this area. People have to wait for months sometimes to see a psychiatrist. I think this is an area were the media has actually helped the cause some, by talking about these problems. As lay people we can show love and encouragement to someone struggling with mental illness. They often need someone to intervene. The person with the problem dosen't always have the strenghth or desire to get the help they need.
I don't think there is any way society can stop people from discriminating against the mentally ill one hundred percent. Lets face it, some of the people that discriminate are probably mentally ill themselves. What's normal? Maybe all of us are mentally ill in one way or another, and should be careful how we judge others. I think that a lot of people that need help don't realize that they need it. If they know they need help they should be able to go to their primary doctor and discuss it with them in privacy. The doctor should be able to direct them in the right direction. No, the mentally ill should not be treated as if they asked for their problem. Does a person born with three fingers on each hand ask to be born that way? I doubt anybody would would wake up one morning and say “I think I'll be bi-polar from now on.” There is a lot of ignorance in this world. Until the ignorance is gone the problem will always be there.
I think either parents or teachers should teach their children at a young as about depression, schizophrenia, or other mental illness. i don't think they should be treated any different than anyone i always think everyone should be treated as equal. I don't think the mentally ill should be penalized for anything God made them that way and they can't help it. I think the mentally ill's parents should tell their kids that it's not their fault make them feel better about themselves.
I feel that informing people about mental illnesses is a good way to stop discrimination. It is not fair for the mentally ill to be viewed as lover than anyone else. It's not their fault they were born with a chemical imbalance. I know many people with illnesses. It is not that uncommon these days. Many people judge the physically disabled in the same way. Everyone should get to know someone before they are quick to judge. That would help prevent them from being embarrassed when seeking help. Everyone should be treated equally.
The things that can be done for mentally disabled individual are on the same level of what can be done to someone who is physically disabled. There is little that can be done to change the way react to a mentally handycapped person because it is not something that people ussually see everyday. Unlike a physically disabled person, there is little that can be changed in the world that I can see to make it more accessable to the mentally disabled. For example, ramps can be built for wheel chairs, and rails can be put in hall ways, but there is nothing that can be done to change the way someone interprets what they see around them. The only solution is simply to make people more aware of those who suffer from mental disorders in the hopes that it will make them more accomidating. -Matt
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I have friends and family members who are mentally disabled in one way or another. The mental disorders I am familiar with range from Autism to Depression to Schizophernia. I have seen my loved ones get bulllied just because they cant speak as well as someone else, or because one day they are so sad they cant get out of bed. I will be honest, it breaks my heart. All of the people I know are very good hearted people. My suggestion to avoid the discrimination is to get to know everyone before judging them. I think our society is to judgemental, and is too hard on people who are different. I would like to meet the person who defined different, and smack them. To me, difference shouldnt be based on mental capabilites, color, or size but rahter values.
Everyone deserves a fair chance at a normal life whether they have a mental disease or not!
~!~ cassandra griffith~!~
This is tricky, since there's always a chance that the mentally ill might be a danger to themselves and others. Really, the only thing to do is offer education about mental illness, so people can have a better understanding of the mentally ill. Prejudice comes from ignorance and the fear of that ignorance. It's like those "The More You Know..." commercials. The more people know about mental illnesses, the less likely they are to discriminate against the mentally ill.
I believe in treating everyone fairly and I can clearly remember when I was in fourth grade and would see mentally ill students or even students with learning disabilities going to different classes. I would always ask why they couldn't be in the same class as other students and whose idea was it to make those students feel abnormal or stand out from the rest of the student body for a disease they cant control. And even then, I was attending school in New Jersey and students with mental illnesses weren't even allowed in the school. There were trailers set outside for them as well as students with learning disabilities. I have to agree with Olivia, people with mental illnesses can sometimes be a threat to themselves and others and one reason why they tend to get teased is because people are ignorant of the disease and truthfully people dont know any better.
We all discriminate against people, and that can't really be helped. Mentally ill people never, ever ask to be the way they are; usually it's genetic factors or it's experiencing something horrible, like living through Hurricane Katrina or 9/11. Maybe getting the media involved with commercials about facts of mental illnesses, such as autism or schizophernia, like they are doing for drugs and alcohol. I know that alcohol and drugs are more of an important factor than this, but trying to increase awareness always helps.
I think that teaching people at a young age about common mental illnesses would be a good way to help people understand them. Going over depression, bipolar disorder, and other illnesses in middle school and high school health classes would teach Americans about them BEFORE they enter the workforce and before their opinions are set in stone. Many people think that the only causes of these disorders are traumatic events and bad situations. The truth is, chemical imbalances and heredity are the more common causes. No one should be discriminated against for something they cannot help.
Talking about mental illness helps a lot. There is less stigma attatched to a mental illness than there was in the past because of awareness- people in media and in families speaking out. There is still terrible inequity in our health care system regarding treating mental illness, not to mention shortages of mental health workers and facilities for treatment. The state budget keeps getting cut in this area. People have to wait for months sometimes to see a psychiatrist. I think this is an area were the media has actually helped the cause some, by talking about these problems. As lay people we can show love and encouragement to someone struggling with mental illness. They often need someone to intervene. The person with the problem dosen't always have the strenghth or desire to get the help they need.
I don't think there is any way society can stop people from discriminating against the mentally ill one hundred percent. Lets face it, some of the people that discriminate are probably mentally ill themselves. What's normal? Maybe all of us are mentally ill in one way or another, and should be careful how we judge others. I think that a lot of people that need help don't realize that they need it. If they know they need help they should be able to go to their primary doctor and discuss it with them in privacy. The doctor should be able to direct them in the right direction. No, the mentally ill should not be treated as if they asked for their problem. Does a person born with three fingers on each hand ask to be born that way? I doubt anybody would would wake up one morning and say “I think I'll be bi-polar from now on.” There is a lot of ignorance in this world. Until the ignorance is gone the problem will always be there.
I think either parents or teachers should teach their children at a young as about depression, schizophrenia, or other mental illness. i don't think they should be treated any different than anyone i always think everyone should be treated as equal. I don't think the mentally ill should be penalized for anything God made them that way and they can't help it. I think the mentally ill's parents should tell their kids that it's not their fault make them feel better about themselves.
I feel that informing people about mental illnesses is a good way to stop discrimination. It is not fair for the mentally ill to be viewed as lover than anyone else. It's not their fault they were born with a chemical imbalance. I know many people with illnesses. It is not that uncommon these days. Many people judge the physically disabled in the same way. Everyone should get to know someone before they are quick to judge. That would help prevent them from being embarrassed when seeking help. Everyone should be treated equally.
~Jamie~
The things that can be done for mentally disabled individual are on the same level of what can be done to someone who is physically disabled.
There is little that can be done to change the way react to a mentally handycapped person because it is not something that people ussually see everyday.
Unlike a physically disabled person, there is little that can be changed in the world that I can see to make it more accessable to the mentally disabled. For example, ramps can be built for wheel chairs, and rails can be put in hall ways, but there is nothing that can be done to change the way someone interprets what they see around them.
The only solution is simply to make people more aware of those who suffer from mental disorders in the hopes that it will make them more accomidating.
-Matt
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