Response to Ethan Watters article in the New York Times The Essay

Response to Ethan Watters article in the New York Times The Americanization of Mental Illness why does America make mental il - Essay Example Why America makes mental illness socially unacceptable or not is a long heated debate and is explained in detail. If we are able to globalize Big Mac burgers and Nike shoes, then it doesn’t seem very difficult to have same kind of illness influence around the world in other cultures. I do believe that if we can globalize clothing, restaurants, and products, then it’s not too far of a stretch that with the meshing of cultures we could also globalize our illnesses. This article explains anorexia and depression are forms of Western Illnesses and they are spreading around in various parts of the world where they were initially not described as common part of illness. The article explains us that it is because we see these medical disorders in other cultures, that is why we decide to treat them in the same way that they would b treated in Western world. However the article doesn’t seem to be concerned about the illnesses that were found in United States. This article further explains that helping those who are mentally disable is completely misleading as one shoe cannot fit everyone. According to United States, people who are suffering from mental disorders are being imposed with economic stress. This in turn acts as a negative impact on the most fruitful years of work. This not only affects the individual but its family and mainly the society bringing great economic loss. This is also one of the reasons why United States make mental illness socially unacceptable. Stigmatizers usually assume that an individual who is stigmatized will eventually engage in immoral behavior towards others. It further describes that patients with mental disorders place great pressure on the society and are a source of potential danger towards citizens living around and the society on a whole. This dangerousness of the mentally ill people usually occurs due to poor habits that were previously inculcated in them. Mentally ill people are not only a threat for themselve s but they also lack certain human qualities that a normal human being has. It is because, mental illness is not related to ones will or within one’s control but it is a biological foundation that will remain out of control of an individual. However, Professor Bennett Leventhal of the University of Illinois Medical Center argued that this perspective is at odds with the campaign’s intent, which was to â€Å" ‘†¦speak to the point that these are real diseases and if you don’t do something they can consume your child’ † (as cited in Kaufman, 2007). This mental illness aids in social exclusion and also impedes recovery. Mental illness is an experience that is extremely isolating. This isolation can further be worsened if it gets combined with other experiences of isolation and social stigma. People get socially isolated and enter its vicious cycle after they are diagnosed with their mental disorder. This diagnosis is also disturbing as it n ot heals an individual back to normal but it further deteriorates the situation and leads to greater isolation from society. This mental illness damages the society as whole because it proves difficulties in maintaining relationships, maintaining daily tasks and informal and formal networks. As we move further, there are laws that also highlights the low significance of mentally ill people in the society and the laws that are specially derived for such