Mental Health

The first 200 words of this essay...

'Mistreatment and oppression is the common lot of people in our societies who are labelled as having emotional problems or acting irrationally. The threat of being called crazy is used in the oppression of every group in the population. The oppression of some people in the name of mental health functions as a threat to keep all people in line.'

The above quote suggests that the experience of being diagnosed or labelled as having mental health problems, whether officially by professionals, or unofficially by lay people, family members and others with whom we have contact, is not only used as a means to explain a persons difficulties, but also as a means of control. In this instance that control is achieved through the widespread use of fear. That fear is founded on the stigma and discrimination that people with mental health problems experience on a daily basis and only works as a means of control if everyone in society is aware of the prejudicial treatment with which they themselves treat other people.

This work will examine the control of persons labelled as 'crazy', historically, politically and socially. It will raise questions concerning definitions of mental health and ask