by Napoleon Broughton

Created on: September 04, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2009

For those individuals who are diagnosed with mental illness, It's not the end of the world. The mentally ill population has often been confused with and stereotyped as useless individuals who exhibit consistent abnormal and inappropriate behaviors. Psychologically, behavior patterns with this population can become severe if the proper supports are not in place. That's the negative outlook. Lets take a look at the positive sides of mental illness.

Quite often, mentally ill individuals are very caring, loving, and appreciative toward other people. Have you ever helped a friend or family member who wasn't thankful for your generosity? You rarely get that from this population. The fact that they are being acknowledged is very important to the mentally challenged, which is a term being used more often in today's society. Several years ago, I remember driving a community home van with ten mentally challenged individuals on board. During the course of the outing, I drove by the restaurant, Ruby Tuesday's. The current day of the week was Wednesday. One of the consumers on board yelled out, Too bad it's Wednesday, I really would like to have eaten there, but we will have to come back next Tuesday. Obviously, mentally challenged individuals have a great sense of humor. When we treat this population with dignity and respect, they notice. It's very important to the legitimacy of their existence. To be viewed as normal is of the utmost importance.

The current treatment process has to be viewed as a positive side to mental illness and cannot be overlooked. For years, this population walked around like zombies taking medication like Haldol which only delayed decompensation. There was no upside. Today, psychotropic medications like Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Depakote work to enhance overall mental and cognitive abilities and quite often increase overall functioning level. In the past, this population also experienced warehousing instead of having opportunities for rehabilitation. Time brought about change for the better.

Community Homes, Personal Care Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities have provided a much needed safety net for mentally challenged individuals. Past history has shown this population to be victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Quite often, family members take advantage of mentally ill individuals given their limitations. Residential facilities offer a viable option to this population. The least restrictive environment necessary to maintain optimal functioning

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>