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Marley Townsend

Where Mental Asylums Live On-NYTimes - 15 views

started by Marley Townsend on 04 Nov 13
  • Marley Townsend
    #1 Marley Townsend on 04 Nov 13
     
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/opinion/sunday/where-mental-asylums-live-on.html?ref=opinion
    Why do you think mental illness and the treatment of the mentally ill is not a main concern for government and humanitarian funding internationally? What does this say about how people perceive mental illness?
  • avi cahn
    #2 avi cahn on 05 Nov 13
     
    I wasn't aware of the harsh conditions those in mental asylums have to face. I think that says something about the way we treat the mentally ill. I think that "out of sight, out of mind" is the general attitude towards the whole situation. The fact that the government and organizations don't fund the mental asylums as much as other illnesses shows how mental illness still has many stereotypes and generalizations surrounding it that need to be addressed.
  • Hailey Miller
    #3 Hailey Miller on 05 Nov 13
     
    It's horrible to read how such little care is given to people with a mental disease or illness. There is abuse, neglect, sexual harassment, and worse. It's just so frustrating almost to see how people aren't being treated as if they human and can't get basic rights or necessities. I feel that this shows a lot about humanity and how we perceive people with mental illness to be below the general public and not as worthy. Mental Asylums should develop into a place where people with mental illnesses can be treated properly and can get help with their illness to improve their well-being, instead of a cage you are trapped in where you are forced to witness and experience horrendous things everyday.
  • Cam Vernali
    #4 Cam Vernali on 05 Nov 13
     
    It's absolutely heartbreaking to see how people are being mistreated even when the government says that they will take them and help them get better. It really shows the low quality and waste of energy and time that could be used actually helping people with a mental disorder but instead wasted by doing counterproductive, alarming acts like this. It's shocking and appalling that even though the government says that they will protect all the rights of the citizens, they are the ones that are hurting ones with mental illnesses. Mental asylums should be a place where people can get better, not worse.
  • Kyle Kearney
    #5 Kyle Kearney on 05 Nov 13
     
    It isn't that surprising to me that mental asylums are in such terrible conditions, because people who go to these places are seen by society as outcasts, threats, and unsafe to have around. The government doesn't want to put money into places like this because they don't see the point, because these people aren't of any use to them anyways, and might seem better to just be put away and forgotten. But that certainly isn't morally correct, it's awful, because though they are ill and 'unsafe to the public', in the end they are still people and thus have the same rights of man that we do. Something clearly needs to be done about this because it goes against much of what our country prides itself in valuing.
  • ryder wood
    #6 ryder wood on 05 Nov 13
     
    The fact this this sort of thing takes place is wrong enough. But the fact that its happening to mentally ill people is just terrible. Before I read this article, I had no idea that the mentally ill were so poorly treated and this has really given me some insight. It sort of reminds me of our elderly care system as well. As long as we sort of put them far away and make sure the public doesn't see, then the lack of care and proper treatment will go on for as long as we let it.
  • rachel ermatinger
    #7 rachel ermatinger on 05 Nov 13
     
    I was shocked by the article to see how poorly the mentally ill are treated and how little governments invest into funding crucial mental health services. I'm glad that the Guatemalan government is taking strides to fix issues such as neglecting and abusing patients however most other nations now need to play catch up and make changes to their health system so that they provide properly for the mentally ill. Personally I think that the lack of funding is a reflection of how people feel about the mentally ill. Mental illness has many negative connotations and is often misunderstood and therefore they are not given the proper treatment that they need in order to function in society. I think that governments should give more attention to the mentally ill and offer them programs that would allow them to be a more integral part of their communities while providing them with essential treatment and medications.
  • anonymous
    #8 anonymous on 05 Nov 13
     
    I think that it's awful how these people are treated, as well as the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Like Ryder said, psychiatric facilities along with prisons, elderly care etc are all too often a place to stick the 'problems' in and once they're out of sight of the public, they're out of mind and essentially forgotten about so anything goes, and they don't really have to spend money. I hope that Guatemala follows through on its reform and other countries take its lead.
  • Claire Donohue
    #9 Claire Donohue on 05 Nov 13
     
    I was so horrified reading this article. You pose a good question in asking what this says about the populations view on mental illness. I think it's seen more as a character flaw or choice rather than the disease that it is. It's not fair to think that a patient with cancer has more rights than a patient with a mental illness, they are both ill and in need of treatment and a safe enviornment to stay. I agree with Avi's comment "out of sight out of mind," as a way that people think about mental illness. I think that is another large part of the problem. I think it's a heartbreaking issue that needs attention from the government as well as the population.
  • Emma Boczek
    #10 Emma Boczek on 05 Nov 13
     
    I wish this article had been more shocking for me. Unfortunately, the norm for the severely mentally ill is marginalization and dehumanization, especially in places where mental illness is the most misunderstood. What's interesting to me is the willingness of many countries to put money and manpower into long-term institutionalization. From the conditions present in these asylums, it would seem that very little consideration is being given to these people's welfare. So, from the government's perspective, why house and (minimally) feed them in the first place? I think the reasons are complex, but they include a desire to isolate the mentally ill from the rest of society. There's also a hopelessness involved in putting sick people in asylums, an assumption that once they're in, they're pretty much bound to stay there for life, with no prospect of re-introduction into society. It brings up a lot of questions that should definitely be discussed, despite their relatively taboo nature.
    I think the author of this article was extremely effective in proving his point; his use of outside sources and research made the piece feel more like a very convincing feature than an opinions piece. I think we should consider having more evidence-based stories like this (though maybe not as large-scale) in the opinions section.

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