Research update

A week has passed since I wrapped up the introductory portion of my research and moved on to create my survey. Since the first day, I have given it out to 40 people but I'm planning to have it completed by 20-30 more individuals. Since I made it an anonymous survey, I can't really distinguish which gender, age or social class had the most successful results. Up until now, 33 out of 40 people personally know someone with a mental illness whether it be mild or severe. Around 12 out of the 40 have taken some time to reach out to this person and try to understand and learn more about the disease. I was absolutely shocked to see that such a low percentage of people care about others with these issues and that they're giving this field such a negative stigma. There were 8 out of 40 that admitted they have talked about the way mental illness is being treated in society with their families or friends. Finally, a whopping 2 out of the 40 know and are aware of how to treat mentally ill people and of the resources they can call in any given situation.
The majority of this survey has shown that people know absolutely nothing about mental illnesses. I wrote a tip at the bottom of the page telling everyone that mental diseases are increasing dramatically because of the condition of our society. I hope they all change their views and appreciate that these issues can be solved with a little more help, open mindedness and appreciation.

My Plan for Research

Mental illnesses are so extremely common not only in the United States but you may also find it surprising how many people are affected by it in our own Bergen County, New Jersey. There is a very high chance each and every one of you know personally or have heard of someone else dealing with mental health issues of their own. I have decided as a part of my research, to create an anonymous survey on paper with 15 questions about this topic that people will have to simply answer Yes or No to. In these questions I will target every aspect about society and about the topic in general to see how many people even know about the severity of the issue, understand it and know how to go forward and give help. I will be giving the survey to people ages 17 to around 60, both men and women, and they will probably be a part of the middle and a minor part will be of the upper class. My prediction for this survey is that mental illness is present in everyone's lives and that the majority are afraid of it and have no idea how to cope with the stresses it brings. I'm very excited to see what my survey will help me discover and hopefully I will come to satisfying conclusions.

#8:Summary of Research

My extensive period of research has come to an end and I am extremely happy with all of the information I have been able to find. Mental illness in my opinion was a perfect topic to blog about because it is controversial and it is becoming the center of attention in the media, the criminal justice system and the government in general. I can come to the conclusion that mental illnesses can occur in individuals genetically, by the parents that have the same problems or by the genes, or by the society that surrounds these people. The mentally ill can easily be influenced by their own groups of people whether it be a primary or a secondary group. Mental illnesses can be mild or extremely dangerous to the point where society has to deal with a serious threat. The health care in the US is not the best in the world and as a result the mentally ill are struggling. These are no beds in hospitals or psychiatric care is too expensive so in some cases children are taken away from their own parents. Mental health issues can affect ANYONE, whether it be your best friend or the biggest celebrity on this planet because it is unpredictable. There are guidelines to help the mentally ill which include investigating the signs for a developed disease and getting help when possible. 

I believe that my topic is a main reason why today's society has so many flaws. The fact that the government funding isn't enough still continues to shock me because these individuals have full knowledge that it's a serious issue. Many important senators have already taken their own initiatives to pass bills in their own states but unfortunately it is not enough! The population that is mentally strong is lucky to possess the capabilities to not be a victim of the problems that are increasing in numbers every single day. Everyone needs to take a stand to help mental illness, to do more research for cures and to fund for any aid that is currently available. Let's HELP EVERYONE to MAKE SOCIETY BETTER. 

#7: How ordinary people can help the mentally ill

While searching the latest news on mental health, I came across this video of a speech given at a Ted convention in 2012. In the video, a very prominent psychiatrist by the name Vikram Patel, informs the audience along with the rest of the world about the dangers of mental health illnesses. He believed that the amount of help available for these individuals in the third world countries is the same as in the richer countries. As a consequence of stunning the crowd by stating that 400 to 500 million people on Earth have some sort of mental health problem, he proposed a very important way to change society as a whole. Doctor Patel completed a whole lot of research in his home country India, in Zimbabwe and in the UK. His theory is that because a lot of professional help is not available to all, the people in the community that have a connection with the mentally ill or that are just trying to aid them, should be trained in a simpler way to do so. Dr. Patel decided to coin and explain the term 'Sundar' which in Hindi means attractive. Every letter stands for a way to make the mental health treatment affordable and basically make it close to home. According to him it is important to appeal to the person in need with elements specific to them whether they have a mild or severe illness in order to cure them.

Vikram Patel: Mental Health for all by involving all

After watching the video, I was completely astonished by the amount of change that Dr. Patel brought to specific communities he experimented in. His approach to helping the mentally ill can be life changing and by the percentages he showed, it really was. The word he used stuck with me because as he stated, Sundar is a word that is extremely empowering to all because the people in the communities are inspired to help one another. He is a firm believer that the simple books and techniques are much more effective than the over payed professionals which I think is the case in many other aspects of life. If any styles, steps and simple techniques to curing the mentally ill or just helping them take the first steps to recovery are published, they can heave a significant impact on the entire world.

#6: Celebrities and mental health

As my newest portion of research for my topic, I came across mental health and many celebrities that are fighting to deal with their disorders. Even though we look up to many famous individuals, we think they're role models and we follow their every day lives, they are ALL battling their own internal problems. Fame causes many to get caught up in the fast paced lifestyle that they can't ever escape. Chris Brown is a prime example of this. He started his musical career and was successful thanks to his melodic voice and dance moves. After the whole incident with his girlfriend at the time Rihanna occurred, his life was headed in a downward spiral. Now news reports, along with this article, are stating that Brown is still trying to cope with the problems he has developed and is struggling to recover in the rehabilitation center he enrolled in. The many doctors have diagnosed Chris Brown with anger issues, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a serious mental health disorder. Additional reports are saying that Brown is trying his best to deal with his impulsive behavior after repeated run ins with the law.


As I was reading this piece I grew increasingly upset about all the celebrities and their troubles. I felt sorry for many of them because they become so immersed and influenced by all the money and attention, that it completely ruins their lives and changes them forever. I think it's great that Chris Brown has made an effort to stay in a mental rehabilitation center and that he has willingly taken steps to get better. Many other famous people are a little less fortunate, stubborn and oblivious to the fact that they have a problem. Unfortunately a good amount of them figure it out when it's already too late, greats such as Corey Monteith, Amy Winehouse and Philip Seymour Hoffman were all valiantly fighting addictions caused most likely from their fame and the opportunities they were given throughout their careers. I hope that celebrities take some time once in a while to evaluate themselves and get help when they need it.

Article

#5: The mentally strong

To change things up on my blog, I decided to focus on an article that was written to explain aspects about people that possess mental strength instead of mental illnesses. This article was very interesting because it indicated exactly what mentally strong people have the capability to do and it can guide anyone to ultimately reach a healthy level of mental strength. The 9 habits that the author writes about mainly focus on the fact that these individuals are able to get through challenges and the hardships they are faced with and they see the positives in a world filled with negativities. The two points that seem to have the most importance to the author are the fact that mentally strong people don't aspire to be happy all the time and they're persistent in the pursuit of their goals. The mentally strong understand that life comes with ups and downs and they do not feel entitled to never have to deal with hardships. These people always enjoy living in the present and are able to control their emotions in various situations by being realists.



This article was mostly against social norm. I was shocked at how accurate these qualities really are so I decided to examine and pay close attention to individuals I previously thought to be mentally strong. I came to the conclusion that only half of them truly had a high level of mental strength because not all of them loved and appreciated their lives and some strived incessantly to be positive and to be happy. I have taken all of the 9 points into consideration and I have decided to take the path to become a mentally strong individual in order to influence other people's lives in a positive way and to create a happy environment to succeed in life. Being mentally strong should definitely be an important element in each person's life.



Article

#4: A place to get help or a jail cell?

I chose to read a shocking article that was just included in the New York Times for this blog post. The piece talks about a jail in Chicago that is now nicknamed and basically considered the absolute largest mental health institute in America. You may be asking yourself why is a jail home to the mentally ill? How is the state and the government as a whole letting this go on? Unfortunately this article doesn't give many answers as to why 60% of the people in that jail were officially diagnosed with some kind of mental illness. Some inmates that were interviewed just simply said that they've been jailed multiple times and it has always been because of a crime committed as a result of their mental illness. Furthermore others claim that they purposefully get arrested because they don't have any money to get their expensive medication when they are out of the jail because they just get it for free there. The article states that if the government is trying to save money by failing to create more institutions or having more beds in hospitals they're not. It actually costs tax payers $300 to $400 A DAY just to keep these individuals in the jails. The United States seems to be going back to the methods they used over two centuries ago instead of creating much needed change.



After doing so much research on mental health, this is yet another example of how the United States is trying to find methods to escape the problems. The most astonishing statistic that made me stop and think was the fact that in "1955 there was 1 bed in a psychiatric ward for every 300 Americans; now there is 1 for every 3000 Americans". I am shocked that this nation is really just getting worse and worse every year. How is it possible that we can't find methods and space for these people. Working in that jail is a hazard to the guards and the doctors because they think they're just dealing with prisoners while in reality from one moment to the next they can become violent and even suicidal. I am at a loss for words when thinking about this situation, I feel horrible with the way mentally ill people are looked down upon and I ask myself why they are being forced to deal with this mind boggling and harsh life.

Article: Inside a Mental Hospital called Jail

#3: Mentally ill youth (video)

I am an avid fan of the TV show 60 minutes and I remembered watching a segment on mentally ill youth. The title of the video says it all: Nowhere to go. The video begins with the issue of the Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds that was attacked by his 24 year old son as a result of one of his furious outbreaks due to mental health problems. The son, Gus Deeds, was a good student but he started having problems so his father decided it was time to get help. Unfortunately, there were no spots available for him at any hospital the night of the fatal incident so the demons in Gus' head got the best of him and as a consequence of attacking his dad, he shot and killed himself. There are various mothers in the video that have formed a support group for their mentally ill children. They all feel that the system has completely failed them and they have been struggling for years without appropriate help. The problem is that if there aren't any beds in the psychiatric wing at any hospital, then parents are forced to bring their children to the emergency room to get the medication they need. Furthermore because of insurance they will most likely be discharged quickly with nowhere to go and they will definitely be a threat to themselves, their family and the society around them.

Nowhere to Go: Mentally ill youth

I was absolutely shocked to find out that the only option most mental health patients have in the United States is the emergency room. We are one of, if not the most advanced country in the world yet we cannot help young people and adults with the demons in their heads and the constant struggles they are forced to go through. Society doesn't understand that these individuals are truly ill. The most horrifying incident in the video was that one of the women was told that her only option was to give her daughter up to the state in order to be fully covered by the insurance company. This is outrageous, I can't believe how many tragic flaws are in the system in this nation. It's almost as if the US wants to avoid this whole topic and a phrase by the interviewer describes it perfectly "Don't want to fund it. Don't want to talk about it. Don't want to see it". When will the government realize the issues will only grow and why haven't they taken action yet?

#2 Intro to Mental Health: Madison Holleran

“Never judge a book by its cover”, this is the exact phrase that described the wonderful girl Madison Holleran was. She was a standout student, a history making track star and a kind hearted young woman. Her sights were set on attending Lehigh University to play soccer but after becoming a late bloomer in the track world, the University of Pennsylvania showed interest in recruiting her. A few months later, upon starting her senior year, she committed to UPenn and was happier than ever because most of her dreams were fulfilled. Madison always had a wide network of close friends, she always had a smile on her face and was in good spirits but little did everyone know that this was only the case on the surface. The girl with such a bright future ahead of her was battling chronic depression for years because of all the pressures put on her. She was seeing a counselor but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Despite maintaining a 3.5 GPA, performing well athletically and being on course to triple major something clicked in her mind, she reached a low point and committed suicide by jumping off a parking garage. It was determined by investigators to be planned because she left notes and gifts for her family. The North Jersey community was in complete shock and utterly devastated, she was the last person expected to do something so violent and everyone asked themselves why wasn’t she helped and why didn’t she speak up?

This case has gained a lot of attention because she was such a perfect girl but maybe striving to be too perfect? It is often discussed that if someone has mental health issues, they must stay silent because this issue is still considered to be taboo in our society. This MUST be changed, the negative stigma can no longer exist in order to prevent people from committing such horrific actions. I believe that the US government has to greatly increase the funding in the mental health field to improve our society and help people live happy, safe and successful lives. If the problems are never faced, they will not magically go away. In Madison’s case, I think that many universities that have prominent sports teams should begin to hire mental health specialists and counselors that specialize in assisting and curing the athletes. If these types of people were present and the coaches made a requirement for every student-athlete to meet with them a certain number of times, problems can be easily traced and these young men and women can stay on the right track. There are problems all around the country with the system that need to be recognized and for now I would advise anyone struggling to speak up and seek help because it can save your life.



Article: Madison Holleran

#1 Topic: Mental Health

As my topic for this Sociology course I chose to specifically focus on Mental Health. I am intrigued by the human mind and how chemical alterations can change so many aspects. Most of all I would like to learn how mental health is viewed in society, why there are so many negative views on it, why there is a stigma about it and how society deals with these problems. I want to tackle this topic because my cousin is a therapist for mentally ill children and her experiences throughout the years have been nothing but eye opening.