F.I.N.E.
I tend to mull over touchy subjects for awhile, before I write about them. I didn’t used to do this, but when I started writing here five years ago, I think Erin was the only person reading, so it didn’t much matter what I said.
But now I must consider that what I write may well be read by current and future employers, which makes certain subjects even more difficult to write about than they are already.
At the top of that list is the subject of mental illness.
The Virginia Tech shootings have brought the subject of mental illness back into the spotlight, and in the most negative light possible.
Now I admit that I am lucky in that my depression and obsessive compulsive disorder are relatively mild, but despite that I have at multiple times in my life seen psychologists and psychiatrists and been on a variety of medications. And through those times I have typically feared discussing these health issues with others.
At the root of that silence is a sense of shame and embarrassment.
Consider the phrase “it’s all in your head.” Well, yes. It is all in my head. But that doesn’t mean that I can control it, no matter how hard I try. During our pre-marital counseling, we were asked whether we had a history of mental illness, when I responded yes, I suffered from depression (I was still in denial about my OCD at that point) the response was basically, “no, I meant a real mental illness.” As if depression were something I could control. As if my depression were something that did not affect my relationships and my life.
Consider the attitude most people have about mental illness. I had a direct supervisor who repeatedly referred to one of the local mental health facilities as “the nuthouse” and constantly used other disparaging terms to refer to those who suffer from mental illness.
Now, as I again consider therapy and medication to help me deal with problems that are slowly spiraling out of my control, I am afraid let people know what is happening in my life. Afraid that they will think less of me for an inability to control something that’s “all in my head.” Afraid that they’ll see me as a threat and a danger.
Which brings me to the disclosure of the mental illness of the shooter. There is now a discussion about the treatment of mental illness.
It is possible this could be a good thing–that treatment for mental illness will be easier to receive, and will be better covered by health insurance companies.
But it could also lead to a greater ostracization of those who suffer from mental illness. That mental illness will become grounds for losing your job or being kicked out of school, for the “safety” of other students or co-workers. That it will become easier to commit someone with mental illness against their will.
And that most people won’t see a problem with either of those things.
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May 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 am
It’s a scary situation, the whole idea of ‘filtering’ for ‘defects.’ Have you ever watched Gattaca? Highly recommended (bring tissue).
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Michael has Gattaca but I haven’t watched it. Although I don’t know why, since it can’t be worse than some of the other movies I’ve watched with him. :)
I guess it comes down to what is considered a defect and what is “normal.” Heaven knows there are plenty of examples of people who might fall into the category of “defective” who have gone on to do amazing things that have changed the world.
And when you’re looking at mental health issues, it may be that those very issues that cause so many problems allow them to see the world in a different way and to take a different path. I’m thinking of Abraham Lincoln specifically. Did his depression (assuming we all agree he was depressed) change how he looked at the world? Did it help him to make the decisions he made? Of course it could have gone in the other direction as well–would he have acted more quickly?
I dunno. But it’s a very frightening thing to consider.
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:12 am
Find the time to catch it, m’dear. It’s not schlock. Anyway, I didn’t know about Lincoln’s depression. Not surprising though. The world can be such a toilet sometimes, it’s not hard to fall into a crippling depression if you stop to think about things. Takes some work to stay up and running, but that’s the test innit. Thank god for numbing TV, eh?
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
I Agree in more ways that one. First, Gattaca is an excellent movie … very worth your time. Second, I would like to see us care enough, as a nation, about mental health to do something to improve it. If we put a small fraction of the amount of money that we put into the failed “war on drugs” into waging a fight for helping people who are suffering from mental health issues or addiction we would probably see a drastic reduction in crime, poverty, and suffering in this country.
Just my two cents.
May 4th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
We had the author of the book of Lincoln’s depression come to talk this spring. I, of course, missed it, because I was to depressed to go to a social event. (You gotta love the irony of that one.) But I’d read some other articles, and I think he has grounds for his conclusions.
Problem with mental health issues is that when most people think of an individual with mental health problems, they think of the VA Tech shooter. Or the street person who wanders around wearing all their clothing and talking to people who aren’t there.
And of course, because of that stereotype, “normal” people with mental illness don’t want to let people know what’s going on, for fear of being tarred with the same brush.
Though I have to admit that I’d rather see money spent on “regular” health care before mental health care. But then again, it shouldn’t be an either or issue.