Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Searching for a New Scene

BEFORE I GET INTO The BLOG, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND OUR READERS THAT The RECOVERY BLOG IS MOVING TO A NEW LOCACTION: OUR BLOG WILL CONTINUE FROM OUR NEW HOME:  http://www.mhcd.org/blog “We give thought to whom we are, and we live by our feelings”. Discrimination (mentalism) is linked to negligence in our use of medications and other interventions within our minds as mental health consumers. Almost every day I hear complaints from mental health clients who place the blame of their existing conditions on their use of prescribed medications and having to take their time to attend group sessions which are meant to help them overcome their conditions. This somewhat leads to the neglect, and/or disrespect of people who are going out of their way to help the weary and downtrodden and mentally ill, who are suffering from experiences, abuse or trauma. Discrimination, stigma, mentalism are not only suffered by the mentally ill, the reality of it seemingly is as a mental health client myself is that it is harbored by consumers as well. This adds up to a poor or unstable future for a client, which can be taken as a pessimistic view, because of a bad clinical experience, which carried on or was backed by other experiences of other consumers.
Mentalism is a form of discrimination and oppression against someone because of a mental trait or condition they have or are judged to have. This is seen as a complex social inequality in power and can result in mistreatment, insults or indignity. Mentalist attitudes (mentalism or stigma) can influence how people are treated by the public or even deeper still can be implanted by other existing institutions, including the legal system. The use of the word mentalism is not in great use such as the phrase social stigma.
It is the false belief about Mental Illness which causes problems in relationships, education and employment amongst the mentally ill and the public. “Though we have listed some of the negative attitudes towards the mentally ill and of the mentally ill as well, we must always be aware when someone judges you, not only because of your race, educational background or economic status; they are also judging your mentality and your experiences. There are harmful effects due to discrimination and /or stigma in this society, the greatest of them is that you cannot succeed or improve yourself. This is all wrong, considering we live in a changing world where we are all related by a commonality called “life”.
I recently began a part time job, where I must be in contact with various mental health consumers. I was afraid they would see me as an employee, and they did, until I mentioned that I was a consumer with a mental illness and surprisingly I received more visitations at my work station because I faced the fact I was just as human as the other clients. I had faced the doubt and shame I bore of my personal weakness and found that I can work with other people, no matter the background they have. I find my self-esteem is to be praised and without judgment of negativity as much. I now have a “don’t say I am but an…I have… attitude when speaking about my illness and this gives me strength over my illness and helps me to accept my condition and to know what to do to make things better, through support and helping others as well.By Donald S.
JUST A REMINDER THAT THE RECOVERY BLOG IS MOVING TO A NEW ADDRESS: OUR NEW HOME IS: http://mhcd.org/blog

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