Mental illness is not about violent people. Perhaps the disrecognise about this type of pathology causes a lot of fear, which causes us to turn away from the people who need us, like everyone else, anger can arise and they will be angry, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a consequence of their illness, or necessarily they are violent people.
I’m not a violent person, I just feel misunderstood and helpless.
- Unfortunately we have always thought that there is a strong link between mental illness and violence.
- So much so that discrimination and collective rejection of people with mental disorders appears.
- Unfortunately this type of disease is very stigmatized.
When we think of mental illness, the most serious disorders that may exist: psychopathy, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder . . . but we don’t realize that there are many other disorders that are common and should also be included here. We’re talking about anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, for example.
Why do we consider a mentally ill person violent?The answer is in the violent episodes that star many stars. Think, for example, about border-limiting personality disorder. In this case, the person may lead a normal life, but under certain circumstances, he or she may react violently, mainly when symptoms are not yet controlled.
The fact that a person reacts violently to a situation does not make them aggressive. It’s just a reaction to a circumstance that doesn’t know how to handle it because it has a problem. This does not mean that we should be afraid of all people who have some form of mental illness or that this behavior is common in the sick person.
98% of people with schizophrenia do not commit violent acts throughout their lives.
As we have said, the world of mental illness is quite broad and not all show signs of violence. Anxiety disorders and even depression are mental disorders that prevent the person with it from living a “normal life. “Do we call these people violent, or crazy, are we afraid of them?It should never be generalized in this regard.
In addition, according to data published in journals such as the Journal of the Spanish Association of Neuropsychology and Global Psychiatry, only 10% of people with mental illness are involved in some type of crime, a very enlightening percentage.
What is clear about mental illness is that they are highly stigmatized disorders, but the question is: why?All of the above considerations come from our own culture. Through books, history, films, the stigma surrounding mental disorders is reinforced.
In addition, the centres serving these patients were traditionally considered to be places that need to be removed, as their inhabitants would be potentially dangerous in the vicinity of society, and less fortunately it was thought that in psychiatric hospitals there were people who could cause us considerable harm at any given time due to their lack of control.
It is the media that show the less frequent but more negative reality of the mentally ill, creating a virtually diabolical image about them, creating a fear completely unfounded in society.
Take the case of Beth Thomas, a girl who was abused by her father as a child, abuse triggered psychopathy in her. Beth’s case revolutionized the world, her parents and family were terrified, her problem had a cause she did not choose, is currently recovering and leads a normal life.
My mental illness does not prevent me from living with you in society, nor working together, your prejudice, on the other hand, is the only limit I face.
It is true that Beth has shown violent behavior, but in relation to his family, because as José Carlos mentioned, it is strange that they have this kind of behavior towards society, it is the nearest beings who are affected, but whatever their illness, the patient is always a person like you and me, and we should not fear him.
With all this, fearing a person with a mental illness is just a way to see disorders inappropriately. Not all riots occur violently, and not all violence will be directed against society.
Did you ever think that you would suffer from a mental disorder and that everyone would avoid you without being a violent person?It could make your situation worse. Therefore, understanding mental illness in depth is positive for us and those who suffer from it, otherwise we will never be able to help them.