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Reconsidering Mental Illness

Reconsidering Mental Illness. Justin Leach ENG 201 Kellie Sharp 4/11/14. Purpose:. Analyze the possible correlation between mental/emotional trauma (abuse, divorce, sexual assault) and the development of mental illness. Explore Multiple Personality Disorder

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Reconsidering Mental Illness

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  1. Reconsidering Mental Illness Justin Leach ENG 201 Kellie Sharp 4/11/14

  2. Purpose: • Analyze the possible correlation between mental/emotional trauma (abuse, divorce, sexual assault) and the development of mental illness. • Explore Multiple Personality Disorder • Argue mental illness as a healing method rather than a sickness.

  3. Argument: • Mental illness is not a sickness, but rather a state of mind that can be shelter for a person who needs to heal mental or emotional wounds. • Mental illness can protect victims of emotional or mental trauma from painful experiences from earlier in life. • Multiple personality disorder (MPD) replaces harmed personalities with new ones allowing the person to live more happily.

  4. What do the sources say? • Sourcesrange from academic articles, to interviews with people with mental illness and MPD, to medical journals. • Most of them, if not all seem to agree with the claim that abuse and trauma are related to mental illness in some way. • In some cases it is the focus of the entire article while in others it is just listed or mentioned. • The main source and inspiration for the project is The Myth of Mental Illness by Thomas Szasz

  5. Multiple Personality Disorder • This mental illness causes patients to experience sudden shifts in personality. • Unlike bipolar disorder this mental illness causes completely new characters to take over the body of the person. • Bipolar disorder just causes shifts in mood. • People with MPD can live completely normal lives, even be the acting guardian to children. • Often found in victims of child abuse or sexual assault.

  6. The Myth of Mental Illness • It is a book published in 1961 by Thomas Szasz • Challenged the fact that mental illness was considered and illness for those “disabled by living” • Szasz states that people can no longer have troubles; doctors diagnose these troubles as mental illness. • Argues that mental illness is not a sickness or a disease but rather a difficulty fitting in with social norms.

  7. Kim Noble • An interesting case of MPD • Has more than 100 separate personalities • Dominant personality changes throughout different stages of her life. • Cares for her young daughter. • Grew up in a broken home, had divorced parents, was abused as a child. • Her MPD has caused her to forget her troubled past and allows her to live a happy life. • Her illness has been more of a help to her than a hindrance. • Has written a book about her life with MPD called All of Me

  8. Media Evidence • Norman Bates from the novel and film Psycho as well as the recent television show Bates Motel is believed by many to suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder. • Norman was emotionally abused and repressed by his mother Norma as a child into early adulthood. • After murdering his mother he begins to channel her oppressive personality which causes him to commit murder numerous times throughout the story line. • This is evidence that it is an accepted my many that abuse may lead to MPD.

  9. What makes this argument unique? • Many people disagree with the idea of mental illness being anything other than what it says it is. • The general population believes that it is a negative thing and cannot be thought of in a positive way. • Combining the argument that mental illness is not an illness and the argument that it can be a sort of healing method helps to support each argument and causes it to be a whole new argument all together.

  10. What am I trying to prove? • In order to validate this argument evidence must be given that supports: • Mental illness can be thought of as something other than a sickness • Mental illness can be used as a healing method • There is a correlation between mental illness and mental/emotional trauma.

  11. Citations • “The Myth of Mental Illness.” Szatz, Thomas. Moral conflict and psychiatry,  Yale Rev., 1959 • “Kim Noble: The Woman with 100 Personalities.” Michison, Amanda. The Guardian, Friday 30 September 2011 • “Norman Bates Bio.” https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Norman_Bates.html

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