“Out of all prime time dramatic characters, 42% of the ‘normals’ are violent, but 70% of characters labeled as mentally ill are violent. Furthermore, 45% of the ‘normals’ but 75% of the mentally ill become victims of violence.(11)” We are definitely miss-taught on how it really is. It’s not so harmful. Medicine really helps a lot. It is a life saver. It got my personality back, and it got rid of most of the symptoms.
“Five percent of the ‘normals’ are killers and 3% are killed, but two out of ten of those characterized as mentally ill are killers and the same proportion are killed. That is four times the violence rate and six times the victimization rate of other characters.(11)” That isn’t fair to be labeled with what shows have shown as killers. No wonder when I first found out I had schizophrenia I was treated and felt poorly. I felt it was something bad. Every day I wanted a blessing (LDS you know, where they lay their hands on your head and tell you what God thinks of you and how he is going to help you if it is a healing blessing!)to make my pain, label, and symptoms go away. Media seems to show us no way out of the illusion, that it is just the way that it us and you can’t help it. You can help it, but even though it is true, it doesn’t give people permission to shove it in my face that it is not real because it does seem real.
“The sense of danger is constantly reinforced by the label ‘ex-mental,’ attached usually to violent and bizarre behaviour.(11)” If you believe the media, and your mentally ill. You probably have a low self-esteem. I would. I did.
“Finally, the image of mental illness usually contains a touch of evil.(11)” Really mental illness isn’t evil. It is not my fault or any ones. It just means I have extra to deal with. We all have trials. This is mine…and blessing when it is better.