StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Psychiatric Disorder and Society - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This discussion on the survivors of various mental institutions will highlight the impacts on the subjects as well as outline the possibilities using relevant scholarly sources to back up these examples. Psychiatry is a medi­cal science: it deals with the pathology of the individual…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.5% of users find it useful
Psychiatric Disorder and Society
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Psychiatric Disorder and Society"

INTRODUCTION This discussion on the survivors of various mental institutions will highlight the impacts on the subjects as well as outline the possibilities using relevant scholarly sources to back up these examples. The analysis will first begin by incorporating the persona of the survivor into a clinical context. Using examples including the recovery process, recuperation as well as indicating how beneficial the stories that the survivors tell are to the rest of the psychiatric world in general, the analysis will also discuss the ups and downs that survivors must face in order to survive in a society that may or may not accept them because of the fact they were in a mental institution. The concluding part of this discussion will present deinstitutionalization and outline how this aspect can affect the people involved. Once again, critical research information as well as primary sources will be used to present facts relating to this matter. Studies that have been made for community treatment will also be looked at towards the end of the analysis. Community care procedures, government agencies and various other kinds of “help” that are available for patients once they leave the institutions will be covered in considerable depth, as well as showing how beneficial they are to helping these people recover. FROM OBJECT TO SUBJECT Psychiatry is not always able to see its clients as they really are: as people with a past, a present, and with hope for the future. Psychiatry is a medi­cal science: it deals with the pathology of the individual. It is not really concerned with the contexts in which mental problems develop. Conse­quently, on entering the psychiatric institution people are reduced to car­riers of a mental illness, or they are even seen as the illness itself. In order to classify the disorder, their behaviour as well as their stories are analysed for symptoms (Anto­novsky, 1987; Mooij, 1988; Thomas, 1995). Only what is signifi­cant to the diagnostic examination is seen and heard. Clients are examined but not really seen; they are listened to but not heard. Psychiatry does not regard its clients as serious dis­cussion partners: after all, with a disorder you cannot speak. Clients’ stories are not heard in psychiatry. This is unfortu­nate, as clients’ stories could teach us a lot. They would tell us about their lives, troubles, and their recovery, about what helped and about the battles they engaged in (Van Weeghel, 1995). Clients’ stories are about how they survive, and how they pick up the pieces. What do they do to promote recovery from their mental problems and their consequences? How do clients survive, recover and resume their lives after being labelled mental­ly ill? RECOVERY How should we go about understanding recovery? This is a difficult ques­tion to answer. Recovery is hard to describe in just a few words. The dictio­nary defines ‘recovery’ as ‘cure’ but most strongly disagree. ‘Cure’ sounds too pas­sive, as if it's something a physician brings about, or you take pills for. No‑one can do your recovering for you, and there are no medicines which will do it for you. Recovery is something you have to do on your own. And it is a continuous process: it is not an end in itself, nor is there an absolute finishing point. Recovery is an attitude, a way in which you look at life and what happens to you (Deegan, 1993). RECUPERATION An ever‑present factor in recovery during the first few years after a survivor has left an institution is the need to regain their strength. On being discharged from the institution, they may not feel strong enough to build on themselves. It takes time to regain strength once they have experienced how unlivable life can be beyond certain borders. Once they know these borders, little can ever be taken for granted again. They are confronted with an overpo­wering vulnerability which must be surmounted. They have to test themselves again. The world and all it contains must be rediscovered. Yet they have been drained of self‑confidence, which makes it a hazardous journey. A right balance must now be found between when to act and when to leave well enough alone, between protecting themselves from the dynamics of life and participating in life. The recuperation phase is precarious. It is not without reason that most readmissions take place in the period shortly after discharge (Van den Hout, 1985). Inadequate resilience is partly, but by no means entirely, responsible. There's also a transiti­on to be made from being a psychi­atric patient to full‑time citizenship. They must resume daily life. Psychiatry doesn't teach you how to do these things. Psychiatric treatment does not show a person how to arrange finances, find accommodati­on or turn it into a home. Forms have to be filled out, visits have to be made to the social services or housing corporati­ons and job medical assessments are needed. These are daunting tasks for anyone and all which require plenty of resilience. Rules and procedures are complex, waiting is endless and people can be unfriendly. And even if they have not been recently discharged from an institution, this is all very unpleasant. UPS AND DOWNS It is no easy task for survivors to look back at what has happened to them. It is impor­tant, however, to determine for themselves what led to their admission into a psychiatric institution (Deegan, 1993). This is the only way to come to terms with their life. This process of under­standing their life history takes time and will have its ups and downs. It is not necessarily a story of success with a happy ending. It is essential to realize that the process of recovery is not one upward line. There are numerous lines along which recovery develops. The only thing they have in common is that not a single line leads straight upward. It is important to learn why this is so. THE PRINCIPLES OF RECOVERY Recovery does not mean that everything will turn out alright. Some things never will and survivors must learn to live with that. In literature, these are called handicaps, but some prefer to call them vulnerabilities. If survivors can iden­tify them they can make allowances for themselves. It saves them a lot of misery. And it saves their energy for what you they do. This will build up their self‑confidence. This is what could be called the princi­ple of increa­sing recovery (Henkelman, 1995). NEW TRAUMAS Survivors not only have to recover from mental problems. They also have to cope with having been a patient in a psychiatric hospital. This is a place where new traumas are likely to be experien­ced, and where even more abuse may be undergone or witnes­sed (Deegan, 1993). However you look at it, mental institutions are reservoirs of human suffering. Other people’s misery you see there is ad­ded to your own. This, to some, is one of the contradictions of psychiatry: we herd together people who are suffering and then expect them to feel better. Even someo­ne who is relative­ly stable will be affected by the hectic and ever‑changing tensions of an admission ward. So how can a person suffering from psycho­sis, at such a place with all these tensions, ever return from his or her psychosis? (Mosher, 1975). DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION In the early 20th century, the public state mental hospital was the primary site for treating severe mental illness (Dickey, 1997). Widely circulated media reports in the 1940s and 1950s about the inhumane conditions in state hospitals featuring locked up, abused, and isolated patients provided the major impetus for massive deinstitutionalization. Other factors, notably the introduction of new psychotropic medications (such as Haldol and Thorazine), several important court decisions, and the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963, have contributed to a 90% decline in state hospital census since 1955 (Dickey, 1997). For example, a Massachusetts court decision played a significant role in closing Northampton State Hospital. The 1978 decision in Brewster v. Dukakis required the development, funding, and execution of dozens of community programs so that patients could be treated in less restrictive settings (Smith College URL, 2001). In more recent years, the rhetoric behind the push for deinstitutionalization has centered on two major premises: that newer medications have allowed mental health consumers to become more integrated into the community and experience a better quality of life, and that community-based care is more cost-effective (Kamis-Gould, 1997). In practice, cost considerations seem to be given more weight. Mental illness prevalence rates are increasing, and many in the mental health field fear that community-based programs are simply replicating hospital practices (Huskamp, 1999). In fact, many argue that “deinstitutionalization” from state psychiatric facilities has just led to “deinstitutionalization” on wards at general hospitals and in nursing homes, with a heavier reliance on psychotropic drugs. According to one estimate in the mid- 1980s, nursing homes accounted for 29% of national expenditures on behalf of the mentally ill (Frisman, 1989). Given the continued exodus of mental patients from state institutions, this number has likely increased over the past 15 years. A federally sponsored community program called the Program for Assertive Community Treatment or “PACT,” now active in 26 states, prides itself as being a “hospital without walls.” One goal of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) was to have PACT programs in all 50 states by the year 2002 (Oaks, 2000). However, with their strong focus on medication compliance, many current and former patients view programs like PACT as a failure of deinstitutionalization, experiencing them as “wards in their backyards”. Federal disability policy and recent court rulings reflect the continued need to integrate people labeled with disabilities with the rest of society. The historic 1999 Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. upheld the Americans with Disabilities Act's integration mandate, requiring that patients be treated in the “least restrictive setting” and that interaction between those with and without disabilities be maximized (Bazelon Center, 2001). To add further complexity, patients and ex-patients often find themselves in Neighborhoods that are suffering from a lack of civic engagement and a breakdown of community. Membership in community organizations, voting, church attendance, and even such things as participation in bowling leagues have fallen sharply in recent years (Putnam, 2000). McKnight (1995) argues that this increasing lack of civic engagement has led to an over-reliance on professionals and institutions. He asserts that professional institutions and service systems have effectively “colonized” communities, rendering neighborhoods impotent to solve their own problems (McKnight, 1995). For example, in the past family, friends, and neighbors were more expected to provide support people who just experienced loss or a traumatic event. With the advent of the “grief counselor,” people who have gone through tragedy are more likely to be referred to “experts.” McKnight argues that this type of specialization actually manufactures problems and undermines community capacity to take care of its own. Ironically, deinstitutionalization, supposedly a step toward community, has been accompanied by an increasing reliance on institutional structures. These institutions and the professionals that represent them generally view "mental illness" through the lens of the medical model. REFERENCES Antonovsky, A. (1897) Unraveling the mystery of health. How people manage stress and stay well. California/London: Jos­sey‑Bass Publishers. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law (2001). Studies of Outpatient Commitment are Misused. Revised March 16, 2001. http://www.bazelon.org/opcstud.html Deegan, P.E. (1988) Recovery: the lived experience of rehabili­tation. Psycho­social Rehabilitation Journal, 11, 4, p.11‑19 Dickey, B. (1997). The Cost and Outcomes of Community-Based Care of the Seriously Mentally Ill. Health Services Research, 32(5):599-614. Frisman, L. & McGuire, T. (1989). The Economics of Long-Term Care for the Mentally Ill. Journal of Social Issues, 45(3):119-130. Henkelman, L. (1995) Paper delivered at the congress ‘Rehabilitation in the City of Utrecht’ organized by the Rümke Group, RIAGG (Regional Institute for Ambulatory Mental Health Care) in Utrecht and the Utrecht Association for Sheltered Housing. Huskamp, H. (1999). Episodes of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Under a Managed Behavioral Health Care Carve-out. Inquiry, 36:147-161. Kamis-Gould, E. et al. (1999). The Impact of Closing a State Psychiatric Hospital on the County Mental Health System and Its Clients. Psychiatric Services, 50(10):1297-1302. McKnight, J. (1995). The Careless Society. New York: Basic Books. Mooij, A.W.M. (1988) De psychische realiteit: over psychiatrie als weten­schap. (The psychological reality: psychiatry as a science.) Meppel/Amsterdam: Boom. Oaks, D. (2000). Talking Points: Why Forcing Psychiatric Drugs into Your Home is a Bad Idea. Dendron, 43:20-23. Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling Alone. New York: Simon and Schuster. Smith College URL (2001). http://www.smith.edu/nsh/dein.html (November 28, 2001). Thomas, P. (1995) On the nature of professional barriers. Pa­per based on a lecture given at the Hearing Voices Congress in Maastricht, the Nether­lands. Weeghel, J. van (1995) Recovery. Vo­cational rehabilitation of psychiatric patients. Dissertation. Utrecht: SWP. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Psychiatric Disorder and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words”, n.d.)
Psychiatric Disorder and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1532397-psychiatric-disorder-and-society
(Psychiatric Disorder and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 Words)
Psychiatric Disorder and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 Words. https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1532397-psychiatric-disorder-and-society.
“Psychiatric Disorder and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1532397-psychiatric-disorder-and-society.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Psychiatric Disorder and Society

The topic that I have chosen to research is Anxiety Disorder (also called angst or worry)

Author Name Assignment Subject Anxiety disorder Introduction In this research based essay, the most important features and issues related to anxiety disorder are explored.... There is a need to educate everyone about this disease since it is becoming an increasingly prevalent psychosomatic disorder in the contemporary world.... Thesis Statement Anxiety disorder is a considerably prevalent psychosomatic condition, which can be prevented and cured if the masses are made aware about it and educated about the basic clinical aspects of the problem....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The diathesis stress model of borderline personality disorder

This research is being carried out to evaluate and present the Diathesis-Stress Model of Borderline Personality disorder.... The researcher of this essay aims to pay special attention to the conceptualization of the development of Borderline Personality disorder.... hellip; The research has indicated that Borderline Personality disorder is related to genetic abnormalities.... This research will begin with the statement that Borderline Personality disorder, a Cluster B Personality disorder, stands on the “border between neurosis and psychosis,” and is described by an odd and erratic affect, mood, behavior, object relations, and self-image....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Paranoid Personality Disorder

People… Personality disorders have implications for the society in terms of lost productivity and desolation and gloominess.... Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a subtype of a group of conditions known as eccentric This paper reviews eccentric personality disorders as well as PPD....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

The Nature of the Needs Which Face Victims of Enduring Mental Problems

This in efffect helps them to achieve the long term goals of integration is into the society as well as live a fulfilling life like any other normal citizen, or with minimal dependency on others.... This will be a great leap towards recovery and intergation of victims of mental problems into the society so as to live a normal... ?? The aim of psychiatric or mental rehabilitation is to help people with diverse and complex mental health needs to recuperate and regain various aspects of life such as skills, family and relationships....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Managing Psychological Disorders in Surviving Schizophrenia by Fuller Torrey

The person lost interest in communal activities in society and also lacked motivation in life.... The author is a research psychiatrist specifying in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.... An author of this review attempts to provide a summary of the book titled "Surviving Schizophrenia" written by Fuller Torrey....
8 Pages (2000 words) Book Report/Review

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

The paper "Schizotypal Personality Disorder" highlights that schizotypal is a personality disorder, which falls under the schizophrenic spectrum, and individuals are suffering from it show antisocial behaviors and personalize the different activities in society.... hellip; The person giving the restoration of the schizotypal personality disorder should ensure that the person clearly that there is a possibility of forgiveness and restoration regardless of the sources of the disease....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Different Types of Personality Disorder

This coursework "Different Types of Personality disorder" mainly aims to highlight the topic, the different types of personality disorder observed within an individual in this recent age.... personality disorder is described as a sort of mental behavior or experience, entirely deviated from the original one.... personality disorder is mainly characterized by a specific sort of maladaptive pattern of behavior as well as expertise that is entirely different from the actual behavioral pattern....
9 Pages (2250 words) Coursework

Schizoaffective Disorder: Personal Experience

From the paper "Schizoaffective disorder: Personal Experience" it is clear that the Caregiving process is never an easy activity, and in the case of a patient with a psychotic disorder, this process becomes much more difficult and demands much more resources, in all the meanings of this word.... hellip; The psychotic disorder is a word combination that frightens many people, but the families which have members with such mental health problems must resist this fact and provide assistance for the patient in any volume required and in accordance with the recommendations of the psychotherapist or psychiatrist....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us