In the past, people who had psychological disorders were often untreatable. Some were subjected to drastic measures such as brain surgery to remove part of the brain that was thought to have caused the problem or even harsh spiritual encounters such as an exorcist. Others were thrown into an asylum or institution with awful living conditions. Always though, since the beginning of time, there has been a stigma attached to people with psychological disorders.
Overtime, with the benefit of research, technology, and even psychotropic medications, the treatments have gradually become more humane and people who work in the mental health field are trained to have more empathy, compassion, and dedication to understanding the patient’s point of view. Still, there are too many people who are left untreated due to lack of resources or ability to pay. Also, it is more common today than ever before, for people who have a psychological disorder to be handed a pill instead of being able to obtain proper treatment.
The biggest factor in regards to harsh treatment today is still the stigma that is attached to anyone who cannot perform to societal norms. These people appear to the outside world as abnormal and the terms crazy, psycho, lunatic, etc. are still used far too often. There are many organizations such as NAMI www.nami.org whose mission is to fight stigma. Technology has also increased awareness and continues to do so which, in my opinion, is a huge help for those who battle psychological disorders.
Leave a Reply