Disability Fact File
Mental Illness
When mental illness is mentioned, many people think of people who are insane,
psychopathic and likely to cause harm. Not only is this attitude oppressive
(it's not even generally true of those who are insane), it also ignores the
fact that the vast majority of mentally ill people are perfectly sane and rational.
The majority of people treated each year for mental illness have depression,
other common mental illnesses include phobias and eating disorders such as anorexia.
As the name "mental illness" implies, it simply means a disorder -
however mild - of the mind.
How are people with mental illness handicapped by Capitalism
?
- Misunderstanding and prejudice about mental illness means that mentally
ill people are often discriminated against in employment, housing and services.
- Most types of mental illness, notably depression and anxiety, are aggravated
by stress - much of which occurs in workplaces, due to the ever more exploitative
nature of work under capitalism. Other major causes of mental illness - long
term unemployment, redundancy, homelessness, war (post-traumatic stress disorder),
child abuse, prolonged harassment (eg racism) - are all caused by the capitalist
system.
- A law being drafted by the government will lead to people with some mental
illnesses being incarcerated in mental asylums against their will, even if
they have commotted no crime and pose no danger to others.
- Phobias are stoked up by media scaremongering, which plays on people's fears
to boost sales and set a right-wing agenda by sensationalism.
- Drugs are often over-prescribed for depression and anxiety, where counselling
would often be of more long-term help - but is avoided because it is the more
expensive option in a cash-strapped NHS.
- Anorexia and other eating disorders are aggravated by the sexist images
of thin women, and the sexist expectation of society for all women to conform
to this artificial "norm" in order to look "sexy".
How may the whole community benefit from measures designed
to help mentally ill people ?
- I think we would all benefit from a more stress-free working and living
environment !
- We would be a lot better informed by the media if they weren't forever scaremongering.
Did you know ?
- One in eight people become mentally ill each year
- Of the deaths caused by mentally ill people, the vast majority are suicides
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