Better Understanding of Mental Health Issues

Question 1

Reflect on what factors have influenced, your opinion and attitude towards people.

Base on my prior on Mental health of people:

Before I started my course of HSW110, my understanding on mental health problem of people was that, this problem range from worries that we all experience as a part of our everyday life. I have learned that there are majority of people who face this problem and can get over them or learn to survive with them (Corrigan, Druss & Perlick, 2014). It had been determined that, symptoms of this problem have traditionally been segregated into groups name as either neurotic or psychotic symptoms. Such problem is supposed to be treated only by doctor, rather than personal weaknesses.

Apart from this, anxiety and depression can have an adverse effect person's ability to get on with life. Those who get affected may see things that no one else see, hear voices, feel unrealistic powerful into daily events. In my opinion, mental illness is a kind of disease that affects the way an individual thinks, behaves, or feels. There are five types of mental illness that I have learned are; Anxiety disorder, mood disorder, schizophrenia & psychotic disorder, dementia, eating disorder. Its causes can be heredity, as many mental problems run in families, and they may pass from parent to children. Biology is considered another cause of it i.e. abnormal balance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Also, psychological trauma, which suffered as a child can cause mental problem. I was very negative towards people who has this mental illness. I hated talking to them (Flanagan, Farina & Davidson, 2016).

After engaging into HSW1110 course, my knowledge on mental health:

The course enable me to find & critically evaluate social factors that boost mental health and illness, affect the on-set and course of mental illness. Moreover, it made me understand competing models that surrounding mental health issue in Australia. It also provided me a chance to explore how social practices & ideas contribute to the ways in which community, families & individuals are influenced by mental illness. After this course, I have learned that my attitude towards them was completely wrong. There are many people who don't understand people's situations that they face due to this problem. Therefore, after engaging in this course I understood people having mental health problem should be treated with care and love and have been more empathetic towards them.

QUESTION 2

To what extent has the social media affected your views about mental health.

Recently, social media have changed the way people interact. We no longer wait for newspaper updates. People are now using social sites to get latest news, or issues that are most appealing to them (Lyndon, Crowe & Davis, 2016). Apart from this, it has proven its power in encouraging people to take actions on an unnecessary issue. Social media is considered very powerful tool to influence people thoughts, views and feeling. While reading news on social media of people suffering from mental illness, I noticed that sometimes they do not provide full information regarding its causes and symptoms. They spread a kind of fear through their stories and pictures associated with mentally challenged people. I have noticed that they show disabled people as an extraordinary or heroic individual because of their problem. It also made my views negative regarding these types of mentally challenged people.

The media can play an important role in raising awareness, and countering stigma. As per my opinion, I think that it can be a better force to change people's views towards those who face mental illness. I held perception cultivated by my family with mental health problems but now I am truly ashamed of my past views on people who suffer this problem. Based on a report by Milly, named Before I had them myself, I feared people with mental health problems. This article I read in which I found unsettling about the saying of mental health. Now I learned that, fear always follow the unknown, the misunderstood and from experience fear has always followed mental health. Therefore, the media can play a crucial role in representing mentally challenged people in a way that could remove negative thoughts of people and promote the rights of persons with this problem (Park, West & St, 2015).

QUESTION 3

Challenges faced while dealing with people having mental health issues.

Working with people having mental issues face various challenges (Peterson, Skeem & Zvonkovic, 2014). Carers may feel confused, overwhelmed, frightened, chaotic and physically as well as emotionally drained. People who are distressed harm their bodies deliberately and most usually in secret in order to deal with intense emotional pain. Sometimes, they cut or burn themselves or injure in dangerous way (Seeman, 2015). I could have faced various psychological, emotional, social and economic challenges. I have to play multiple role including day to day care, supervising, medications, taking patient to hospital and many more. Mild problems in person are common as they can be helped by way of talking and supporting them. But the one who is suffering with severe problem goes through many circumstances.

It becomes difficult to communicate with them as they fail to share their feelings, their problems and some experience hallucinations which affects their confidence to a great level. I have to make them feel good by knowing that they are accepted in any type of condition they are going through so that they feel free in sharing their problems and feelings with me. Mental issues creates distance between people and loved ones. So it becomes important for me to let them express their problems without interrupting in between.

Sometimes I find difficult to handle them, as they become anxious regularly. But talking with them with special care and understanding their views makes them feel better. This helps me in handling them easily (Shepherd, 2018). So to avoid such circumstances i have to develop some strategies to cop up with them and their burden. Sometimes i find it very frustrating since often as I have complete picture of the persons condition.

The main difficulties faced by the carers is to deal with reactions of a society and navigating mental health system. Thus, caring for a person with mental illness means to live with symptoms. Its very difficult as it cannot be diagnosed with blood tests, x rays or other medical tools. To diagnose such illness they need health professionals that diagnose with the help of psychometric tests. It becomes challenging in predicting about progress in individuals illness.

I found that treatment isn't a cure for such illness. I have to use various other options to cure them and make them feel relaxed. I find out with many researches that medications, psychological and alternate therapies will work best on these peoples. Thus, by studying this course changed my views on mental health issues. I knew that I can easily handle them with lot of care and love. But it can be cured by professional doctors or psychiatrist. I can only take care of them, but they need treatments. I can only make them ready to undergo such treatments.

QUESTION 4

Theoretical Approaches to Mental Health & Illness

In order to understand mental health and illness we need to identify theories used in helping and understanding mental health problems (Vigo, Thornicroft & Atun, 2016). Thus, following theories are used as are-

1. Analytical theories- this theory helps in understanding human growth, development and learning. If motivation of human thought and behaviour have been wondered, these theories provides useful insight into individuals and society. This theory divide development into distinct stages in terms of behaviour. It is a systematic way of knowing human beings' growth from babies to adults.
2. Behavioural theories- this theory is based on learning and idea that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning. It helps the clients in learning new skills and behaviour. According to this, behaviour can be studied in systematic and observable manner in regardless of internal mental states.
3. Cognitive theories- it is a theory that helps in studying the mental process including thinking of people (Ward, White & Druss, 2015). It also includes neuroscience, philosophy and linguistics. It is an approach that attempts in explaining behaviour of a human by understanding thought processes.
4. Social theories- it includes social topics to a wide range that includes behaviour of group, social perception and leadership. It is important in noting that social psychology does not mean to look at social influences. Social perception and interaction are also important. These are analytical frameworks that are used in order to study and interpret social media.

Mental health literacy refers to the knowledge of individuals about mental health disorders. Thus, attitudes and beliefs are shaped by knowledge about people suffering from mental sickness (HSW110 Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2018). The understanding and interpretation vary in different cultures. It has been find that some healthcare professionals are necessary in order to cure such illness. Thus, to avoid such problems I must try to get the consent of that person and should discuss their needs to professionals as soon as possible. I would have to talk with the person suffering about what I am and what I want to do. I find in research that they might even attempt suicide when they are overwhelmed. Thus, I will also have to have a carer's assessment if I feel unsafe with that particular person.

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CONCLUSION

Thus, from above assessment, it has been concluded that mental illness is a serious problem and the one dealing with the person that is suffering from such illness has to face many types of challenges. Furthermore, it also highlights on social media impacts that it has engaged peoples mind totally by influencing their thoughts, views and feelings.

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