Mental Media

2005-05-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

To my classmates & instructor:

I hope I've opened your eyes to an issue that truly needs more media attention. I've enjoyed blogging. It's something I've never done before. I've also enjoyed all of your blogs, and if you guys choose to continue them, I'll be sure to read your postings and contribute my comments at least weekly. I won't be continuing this blog because it deals with an issue that's very personal to me, I've worked in the mental health field, and I just want to lay it to rest. It's not the most uplifting subject matter, and I don't like to dwell on this type of stuff.

I wish you guys "good luck," "good blogging," and "good mental health." And, remember, don't cater to negative stereotypes. They lead to horrible stigmas. Just like you wouldn't judge people with diabetes, cancer or asthma, don't judge people with mental illness. Don't make their lives harder.

Mental illness affects a lot of people. Who knows ... That person who sat next to you in class might have a mental illness. Would you be able to tell if he did?

--E.A.

Depression: So Confusing

2005-05-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

I found this article on a site called WebMD Health. It talks about a possible correlation between a gene and depression. However, the article points out that depression is by no means thought to be soley genetically based. The article also lists symptoms associated with depression. What people might not know is that the mind-body connection is strong, so depression is not soley a psychological disease. It's not just about being very sad. It attacks the body, as well. People with depression expereince symptoms like feeling very tired, loss of appetite, and/or headaches.

Images

2005-05-08T00:25:00.000-07:00

A Massachusetts-based non-profit organization has put together a photo exhibit featuring people with mental illness. They're not pictures of people in straight jackets or with gloomy expressions. They're regular, everyday people with smiles on their faces. Nothing about their warm faces even hints at mental illness. It's not necessarilly a journalistic exhibit, but a medium is being used to inform, to educate, to describe, and, most important, to lessen a strong stigma.

Why are our children getting sick? (click here)

2005-05-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

Innocent, feeble minds tormented by a powerful new enemy. I'm speaking of mental illness in children. It (mental illness) creeps up on them little by little, and then it waits for the most inopportune moment to strike. In my opinion, kids aren't able to cope with the first signs of a budding mental illness.

Sometimes, people are meant to get mental illness. It's probably in the genes, but sometimes people can develop a mental illness as a result of stress or a personal trauma. Parents need to be careful that they don't have unreasonable expectations for their children. Peer pressure's tough enough without the added burden of parents' unreasonable expectations stressing kids out.

So far I'd say the media have handled this topic delicately enough. But the media have to continue to do their part to responsibly cover mental illness in children. It can't be just about reporting. The meida should make sure that they make parents aware of mental illness warning signs in children. The media can help push or lessen stigma.

Children can get depressed. Children can get traumatized. There are psychiatric wards for children, and business is booming, unfortunately.

Good News: Less Stigma

2005-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

I am always just a little wary of the media departments of businesses and other organizations. Obviously, their press will be one-sided, but"business is business," and everyone answers to somebody. It's understandable. Nonetheless, The American Psychiatric Association has a great media section on its official Web site. It contains news, press releases and contact info. Anyway, the APA recently issued a press release dealing with a supposed decline in stigma in America. It brought up some good points. The APA admits that America is a pill-happy country. Anti-depressant prescriptions are soaring and some people who take them don't bother to conitnue any kind of follow-up treatment. I'll say it again and again: I think pills are not the answer. They should be used as last resorts, in my humble opinion.

The book behind this blog

2005-05-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

My inspiration for this blog came from 2 different sources: working in the mental health field and this book. It goes into what I talk about on this blog in more depth. I highly recommend this read. Wahl tackles stigma and stereotypes as they are presented in TV, radio and the advertising field. Strong arguments presented in this book.

The earlier, the better (click here)

2005-05-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

In addition to reporting on mental health in kids and the dangerous side effects of certain medications they're taking, the media should also keep in mind that mental illness is still ruinning rampant in children. Just like cancer, diabetes and AIDS, mental illness is striking kids in -- according to the news -- large numbers. Like any disorder of the body, early detection and treatment of mental illness in children can only be beneficial to everyone, including the kids and their families. Being a grown-up is hard. Being a grown-up with a mental illness, almost impossible. Children are resilient, I think. Maybe children have the ability to more successfully battle mental illness than an adult.

Verdict: More media spotlight needed here.

Good News (for once)

2005-05-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

A former writing teacher of mine during my undergad days kept it simple. She said, "News is something out of the ordinary." Hence, news could can be "good." The news can be about the happier out-of-the-ordinary events. This story was touching, truly: 2 people with mental illness getting married. It's not about people with mental illness who commit some heinous act. It's not about people with mental illness and the hardships they go through on a daily basis. It's about people with mental illness who love each other. It's about people with mental illness overcoming odds, odds usually heavily stacked against them. It's news ... good news.

Mental illness debilitates people to the point that they find it difficult to carry on normal relationshsips, sometimes. Human contact may be difficult for them, especially if their mental illness is somehow tied to past abuse.

Cause for concern

2005-04-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm watching closely how the media are handling the story of antidepressants and children. It seems logical that early treatment of mental illness can probably lead to successful overall treatment. For some sufferers of mental illness, drugs themselves are enough. For others, therapy helps. And for the rest, a combination of both works best. However, more and more in the medical community, even in Europe, are finding that drugs like Prozac and Paxil are not treating child patients, rather they are causing them to engage in aggressive behavior toward others and themselves. So far, I agree with the way that the media have treated this topic. Because if it is the case that medication is hurting rather than helping children, parents should take note.

When mental illness leads to murder

2005-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I think movies like Halloween and Psycho have somewhat perpetuated stereotypes and stigma surrounding mental illness, and in the most negative way: by implying that people with mental illness are dangerous, violent and murderous. It seems that a lot of people seem to think that people with mental illness are one of two: geniuses or deranged. The truth is, mental illness is more common that people think. Just take a look at what some of the most commonly prescribed meds are. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by life, your job, your partner, or had trouble coping with the anxiety and the stress, then you might have, at that time, had a mental illness. Are you dangerous? The media reported on a man who stabbed a little girl to death, and made it a point to mention that he was "REPORTEDLY" suffering from bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder isn't even associated with violent behavior toward others. Their moods fluctuate between depression and mania, but not homicidal tendencies.

I should add, though, that a few people are so far gone in their mental illness that they are a danger to others, but even their most depraved and violent acts cannot be entirely blamed on them. Imagine a real voice in your head -- not yours -- cursing at your, telling you to hurt yourself, or even others. This is the reality that some people live with EVERY DAY of their lives. When a little girl gets stabbed to death, it is truly a tragedy, but the media should be careful to not make scapegoats out of a group of people with an illness due to lazy reporting and for sensational headlines.

Media coverage helps out parents

2005-04-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

Due to intense media coverage of the possible correlations between anti-depressants and suicide in youth, some parents now know what questions to ask at the doctor's office. There is probably nothing more devastating for parents than knowing that their child has a mental illness, but anti-depressants should be a last resort for anyone, adult or child, especially if a doctor is only too eager to prescribe them. Hooray! for the media for a job well done.

German Pope much needed for sad Germans

2005-04-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Pope John Paul II had to deal with communism in his native Poland. Well, it looks like Pope Benedict XVI will have his blessed hands full with anxiety and depression in his native Germany. Its turns out that German young people are buckling under the personal and professional demands of their lives. However, it seems that those with perceived psychological problems are more likely to seek help than ever before. In my opinion, who isn't depressed? It seems to be running rampant nowadays. The media should draw more of its attention to these kinds of stories, because it also has economic implications. After all, if people are getting depressed because of factors like work stress, then productivity will begin to go down in several areas of business. Mental illness can start of as a ripple but it will slowly but surely gather momentum. I remember in my last job, we were unofficially encouraged to take "mental health" days as often as we needed. They did help. It was a stressful job, and one day of relaxation made a huge difference.

Correlation: Marijuana & Mental Illness?

2005-04-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

I know SO MANY people who smoke marijuana, and I bet, if you're under 40, you do, too. (Actually, I know a 40-something who still smokes on a regular basis.) Anyway, I know that abusing drugs like alcohol, cocaine, heroin and acid will lead a person to either jail, reahab, the hospital or death. But I'm just not convinced that marijuana is necessarily "bad" for anyone. I don't smoke marijuana, but, again, I know SO MANY people who do. Someone close to me smokes quite a bit, and I quit telling him not to because he's well rounded as a person. He goes to school, works and is a talented musician. Of course, when he doesn't smoke, he seems irritable, so I think, despite popular oprinion, marijuana is addictive. However, no scientific study seems convincing enough to warrant even a second thought by "potheads" to stop, and to imply that marijuana may lead to a psychotic break seems ludicrous, because, if anything, people who smoke are rather pleasant to be around "under the influence."

The happiest place on Earth

2005-04-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

According to a survey conducted by Swedish political scientists, Puerto Ricans ranked highest in terms of overall "well being." Mexico ranked No. 2. I thought Disney World was the happiest place on Earth.

To plead or not to plead ... insanity

2005-04-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that many people think that the insanity defense is a clever tactic for criminals to "get off." However, according to a recent article in the Akron Beacon Journal -- posted on Sunday, April 10, titled "Insanity defense has worked, backfired in notorious cases" -- this is not the case. For the most part, people who get acquitted under the insanity defense don't go free. They go to a mental institution, which is no picnic. Personally, I can't imagine a state-funded mental institution to be that much different from regular prison. I have strong feelings about this issue. Mental illness is the only condition that seems to hide itself. All other ailments seem to have concrete symptoms that can be seen and touched, or at least discovered by use of medical technology. Mental illness can't. It exists only in the sufferer's mind. It's like a war in the mind of a sufferer. I wish there were a way for jurors on a trial to get a glimpse into the mind of someone truly mentally unstable and pleading insanity.

One word: Oprah

2005-04-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

When Oprah talks, we listen. She's the First Lady of TV media. Anyway, her show yesterday was about mental illness. (It was a rerun.) She had on a few celebrity guests who "came out" with mental illness. Oprah's Web site has some streaming video from the show, if you care to check it out.

Disclaimer

2005-04-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

OK, I should make it clear that I, in no way, want to discredit journalism or the medical profession. After all, I am a grad student majoring in journalism. My mission with this blog is to acknowledge both good and bad media coverage of mental illness, AS I SEE IT. That being said, I found this, sort of, personal manifesto on an anti-psychiatry site. Yes, there are social/political movements for every cause and anti-cause nowadays. Anyway, read it. Sadly, much of it I agree with, because I've seen it first hand, which is part of the reason I had to leave my last job ... CLICK HERE