PORTRAIT IN MENTAL ILLNESS

This is a chance for you to meet someone diagnosed with a mental illness.
This is an opportunity for you to experience mental illness on more than a
theoretical or academic level. This project will expand your level of learning
beyond the four walls of the classroom. It will allow you to meet someone
with a mental illness and get to know their story. Note – If you are having
difficulty finding a person with a mental illness, you may want to contact
NAMI (Nat’l Association of Mental Illness) to see if they can find you
someone to connect with (651) 645-2948.

Mental illness usually doesn’t happen in a vacuum, if your person approves

of it, feel free to interview family members as well.
This is an essay that can have subheading but do not write in a bullet format.

You may use the following outline to guide your work. (Note: it may not be
necessary or appropriate to include information under each heading. These are
not “must haves,” they are simply ideas to help you get focused).

a. A brief life history from birth to present including place in family, education,
work, recreation, housing, and legal issues and daily, weekly and yearly routines.
1. Also, how does this person feel about his/her mental illness?
2. How does his/her family/spouse/children/siblings/parents respond to the
mental illness?
b. What has the mental illness taught the person?
1. How has it affected significant relationships?
2. How would he/she be different without it?
c. Who is this person? (Can include descriptions by those who know the person.)
Include:
1. The person’s desires
2. Aspirations
3. Strengths and capacities
4. Likes and dislikes
5. Dreams
6. Fears
7. Memories, etc.
d. If there is one message you would like to give to the mainstream population
about people with mental illnesses, what would that be?
e. How would the person you are working with on this assignment like to see the
future chapters of this story written?
f. Your impressions, ideas, hopes, concerns for this person and how this
experience was for you.
g. How has their mental illness impacted romantic relationships?

Include (in journal-like format, if you wish) what your thoughts/feelings were
leading up-to meeting this person. You may want to include, after your
interviews and writing-up his/her story, how this all impacted you….what you
learned about yourself.

I invite you to ask the tough questions because this is where a lot of fruitful
stuff may come out. If some question or aspect is uncomfortable to you,
explore why that is; what’s that about? Just observe it, don’t judge it or beat
up on yourself. And remember, because you are uncomfortable doesn’t mean
they are uncomfortable with the question.

NOTE:

Please include in your paper a telephone # where I can reach this person in
case I want to follow-up on your report.

***NOTE – I want you to write this report in first person, as if the person was
you.

Specifics:
Length: 4-6 pages typed and double spaced

Grading Criteria:

 Depth of analysis
 Grammar/spelling
 Paragraph/sentence structure
 Clarity of writing
 Personal integration/reflection
 Logical flow
 Appearance (Double spaced/margins/sub headings/page numbers)