Monday, October 1, 2007
are we really talking cancer or diabetes?
Last night (watching Tony Soprano on DVD) I again was reminded of that "treat us like we have cancer or diabetes" thing that has always bugged me. A mother on the show has a son with ADHD and she tells hubby and friend that medications are OK because, certainly, she'd give him medicine if he had been diabetic. This analogy about medication for mental health conditions really bothers me because having a mental health issue is probably nothing like having a physical ailment. I guess it most bothers me because most people with mental health "histories" do not really discuss their experiences "with" mental illness -- as if they were a person with a mind separate from and completely apart from a disease -- isn't it far more personal than that? Isn't there personality and aren't there all the issues with explaning behavior and being accountable and being proud about progress, etc., etc., and doesn't this claim that "it's just like cancer" really get in the way of that? What do you guys think?
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2 comments:
just found your blog, so sorry this comment is a bit late. I think the problem when thinking "it's just like cancer or diabetes" is that we think that cancer and diabetes are ONLY physical problems. I believe, as someone who has suffered from mental illness and epilepsy, which even though it's a brain disorder, is still considered a physical illness, that we need to start viewing all diseases as having psychological components. People who suffer from diabetes and cancer frequently recover better when their treatment protocols are more holistic in nature, including meditation with chemo, for example. These mind/body connections cannot be ignored, and we do a disservice to both the mental health communities and to people who suffer from physical health problems by trying to segregate them in any way.
I agree with the initial post. The similar to physical illness argument is useful, but has it's limitations.
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