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Most individuals in our society dont treat mental illness like a real disability because they cannot see it physically (Aferringo, 2015). Some common myths from societys point of view on mental health are that bad parenting causes mental illness, people with a mental disorder are not smart, or the mentally ill are violent and dangerous (Aferringo, 2015). These statements are wrong as many studies suggests that most mentally ill people come from good families, have average or above average intelligence, and most are actually victims not perpetrators (Aferringo, 2015).
This article assignment will frequently touch upon the myth “mentally ill are violent and dangerous”. The website 9med published an article on January 6th, 2007, titled ‘Violence and Mental Illness- How strong is the link? ” delivering a threatening point of view to the readers in a negative approach about people with mental illness (Richard &Friedman, 2007). This article was reported to reveal the killing of an outstanding schizophrenia expert, Wayne Fenton, who was beaten to death by a 1 9-year old patient with schizophrenia (Richard &Friedman, 2007). Dr.
Friedman, a professor of linical psychiatry, throws a rhetorical question in his article expressing “If an expert like Fenton, who understood the risks better than most, could not protect himself, who could? ” convincing general public to be afraid of people with a mental illness (Richard &Friedman, 2007). Also, Tim Exworthy, a forensic psychiatrist at Redford Lodge Hospital, adds on conveying that he was beaten unconscious by a psychotic patient he had been treating for five months. After this problem, many psychiatrists happened to be concerned about their own safety around the mentally ill (Richard &Friedman, 2007).
Dr. Friedman justifies that mental health physicians are at risk of job related violence when associated with psychotic patients (Richard &Friedman, 2007). This is due to the fact that physicians deal with patients that have severe mental disorders who is at high risk for violent behaviours; mostly people with history of being violent, being a victim of violence, or abusing alcohol or drugs (Richard &Friedman, 2007). In addition, he examines the National Crime Victimization Survey that reveals the job related violent crime rate for mental health professionals was 68. per 1 000, which is one of the highest rates mong other occupations (Richard &Friedman, 2007). He further investigates and interviews with several mental health specialists like Tim Exworthy to provide approval to his opinion that individuals with mental illness; particularly schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder, are more involved with violence then the general population (Richard &Friedman, 2007). He provides a study that shows violence among people with serious mental illness is sixteen percent and for people without any mental illness is seven percent (Richard &Friedman, 2007).
Overall, Dr. Friedman article seems o frighten the general public and physicians surrounded by guilty individuals with mental illness and decrease patients’ opportunity from receiving proper treatment. The mental illness that Dr. Friedman frequently mentions in this article is psychosis, which is associated with schizophrenia disorder (Markus, 2014). Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way people think and perceive things (Markus, 2014). It usually occurs during early adolescence or late adulthood (Markus, 2014).
A common way in which people begin to notice symptoms of schizophrenia is they become suspicious and paranoid of he motors of other people (Markus, 2014). They assume people are trying to play tricks on them, harm them, or spy on them (Markus, 2014). Also, they may have strange or funny thoughts and may all of a sudden become fascinated with thy supernatural like become very religious or suddenly be concerned about their health condition (Markus, 2014). People are diagnosed with schizophrenia when they observe symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech (DSM-5, 2013).
Delusions is when one is holding unusual beliefs not shared by others, hallucinations is seeing, earing, or feeling things that are not there, and disorganized speech is when thoughts are disconnected and people start rambling about one thought to another (Markus, 2014). To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, one must be specified with at least two of these symptoms and it must be present for six months and for one month is should be constantly active (DSM-5, 2013). These behaviours cause social or occupational dysfunctions in a patient’s life (DSM-5, 2013).
Also, subtypes such as catatonia are used as a sign to help provide additional details for schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions DSM-5, 2013). Catatonia can also be used in other disorder that Dr. Friedman mentioned slightly in the article such as bipolar disorders and major depressive disorder (DSM-5, 2013). Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize schizophrenia because during adolescence there are tendencies for extreme or erotic behavior so specialists aren’t able to make diagnosis until it goes clearly outside the bounds of the individual’s normal behavior and until that behavior lasts for a long time (Markus, 2014).
In the article, Dr. Friedman portrayed mental illness as having a strong link to violence (Richard Friedman, 2007). He collected many sources that perceive the mind to believe anyone with a mental disorder could be dangerous to those around them (Richard &Friedman, 2007). He also commented that the presence of a disorder; especially schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder, is significantly associated with an increased risk of violence (Richard &Friedman, 2007). Furthermore, he discloses that symptoms of psychiatric illness deliberate the danger of aggressive characteristics (Richard &Friedman, 2007). So patients with schizophrenia who are free of the acute psychotic ymptoms that increase this risk, such as having paranoid thoughts or hearing voices that command them to hurt others (called command auditory hallucinations), may be no more likely to be violent than people without a mental disorder” (Richard , 2007, Para 13). His statistics, interviews, and rhetorical questions will get his audience to have a bad illusion about those with psychosis, as they must be violent (Richard , 2007).
This piece of writing stereotypes people with poor mental health conditions as dangerous to the society and to medical practitioners (Richard , 007). Dr. Friedman suggests physicians that they should “see patients with acute psychosis in locations where there is adequate assistance and security, such as hospitals and clinics, rather than in a private office setting,” giving them precaution that being around psychiatric patients unaccompanied is fearful and risky (Richard , 2007, Para 15).
Also, the writer trivialize people with mental health conditions by saying that mentally ill patients have a negative effect on their desires for building good relationships, having a job, housing, and social functioning, which tends to isplay a damaging image towards their life and belittle their condition (Richard , 2007). The title “Violence and Mental Health- How strong is the link? ” itself offends people with mental health by insulting them as a dangerous people to be around.
For those individuals with psychiatric illness such as anxiety disorder may find it very insulting and difficult to adjust to that heading because most of them do not associate with violence at all (Richard , 2007). Additionally, the writer patronizes people with mental health conditions as if they were not as good as other people. Throughout the article the writer compares people with disorders to others without mental illness to display how much more dangerous they are to society. Dr. Friedman’s portrayal of this article was a little disturbing towards the mentally ill.
This writer suggests that if this article was presented simply by Identifying the information of the violence among mentally ill and not compare them to others without a disorder could help stop stigmatization. Every human being has a unique characteristic and also a different brain setting, so comparing one to another is not right and will damage an ndividual mentally ill’s self esteem. If the author only provided his readers with the data about people with mental illness, it wouldn’t create the illusion that mentally ill are most likely more harmful then “normal people”.
In this writer’s opinion, anyone could be dangerous or safe to be around and you don’t have to have a mental illness to be violent. Also, another way to stop the stigmatization in the article is by providing ideas on how to help the mentally ill with decreasing their unintentional aggressiveness and not only giving tips to the physician on how to avoid the harm. This writer suggests that because the article seems to create an illusion as if the mentally ill are the victims and the physicians are the targets.
Overall, this writer has examined that the author, Dr. Friedman, has concluded the article coarsely. His primary approach on writing this piece was to help out those physicians concerned about their violent patients. Also, he wanted to present the violence among mentally ill patients to society. Unfortunately, this approach is unhelpful for individuals with a mental disorder since it presents them as a harmful soul. His description and examples of psychosis patients were pessimistic throughout the article.