March 28, 2022 A TALE OF MENTAL ILLNESS BY ELYN SAKS

ASSIGNMENT

STUDENT’S NAME

INSTRUCTOR’S NAME

COURSE

DATE

MARCH, 2022

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 March 28, 2022 A TALE OF MENTAL ILLNESS BY ELYN SAKS

INTRODUCTION

Elyn Sasks is a well-known USC professor and Yale alumna who is also suffering from

persistent schizophrenia. Mrs. Saks shares her own experiences and perspectives on

schizophrenia with the viewers and audience in her TED presentation. Elyn also highlighted

brutal treatment of persons with mental problems with the audience during this discussion

(specifically in this case, its schizophrenia). She also stresses the importance of bettering

mental disease treatments and research.

Elyn Saks, a legal scholar, was forced into a mental facility against her choice after suffering

from severe psychotic symptoms. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and given a "grave"

diagnosis. She kept a journal of her experiences, which included being confined to a chilly

metal bed for up to 20 hours at a time. She describes how humiliating the experience was and

how she was afraid she wouldn't make it out alive. She was freed after 5 difficult months, and

she now had to fight her own mental condition, as well as the stigma that surrounded it. She

became a practicing lawyer and clinical psychiatrist to help others who couldn't help

themselves, all while battling her own issues. Saks was determined to overcome the chances

of her diagnosis and avoid becoming another Hollywood schizophrenic stereotype. In

addition to jail reform, she calls for less force in hospitals and more proactive therapy.

SUMMARY

Mrs. Saska opens her account by discussing her extensive history with psychiatric illness and

the many therapies she had while in those facilities. She goes on to tell the audience of a

period when one of her best friends, Dr. White, was going to leave his practice and how the

prospect of losing him made her suffer a mental breakdown. Saska was sent to a mental

facility and tied to a bed after a series of psychotic episodes and deteriorating symptoms. She

remembers being pulled up and smashed onto a mental table by a doctor and his colleagues.

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Sasks recalls seeing stars and hearing "a sound come out of my lips that I'd never heard

before; barely human and utter dread" during that moment. Sasks subsequently spent 5

months in a mental facility, where she recalls being shackled for the most of her stay. She

talked about how harsh and useless certain approaches were for treating schizophrenia.

Despite the odds against her, Sasks went on to Yale University to get her degree.

Elyn went on to explain the three primary reasons that assisted her in overcoming

schizophrenia. The primary reason was that they received great therapy, including psychiatry

and psychopharmacology. Assistance from her family and friends, as well as support from

USC Law School, were two major factors that helped Elyn cope with her illness. "These

Relationships have given my life a meaning and a depth, and they have also helped me

manage my life in the face of symptoms," Elyn says in one segment of her lecture. Elyn

discusses the need for increased funding in mental illness research and treatment near the end

of her presentation. She emphasizes the need of safeguarding the rights of those diagnosed

with mental disorders and taking steps to end the use of force in psychiatric facilities. Her

final letter makes it clear that her mental condition is nothing more than a stumbling block in

her life.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECT

Failure is a part of life

The Ted presentation goes into great length about Elyn's life, beginning when she was a

youngster and experiencing the first indications of what would eventually be diagnosed as

schizophrenia. Elyn was forced into a tough treatment program for "troubled teenagers" after

a little teenage rebellion that included some marijuana use. Elyn absorbed a severe and

unrealistic value system based on two beliefs: "All substances, including medication, are

evil" and "You can always win if you strive hard enough." Elyn struggled to take her mental

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medicine as she grew older, believing that if she just fought harder, she might overcome her

insanity without taking drugs. She saw her need for medicine as a sign of weakness and

failure. She learned as she got older that her medicine was assisting her and that her mental

illness was something she needed to manage rather than battle.

Know your triggers

Elyn had spent the most of her life in academics, so the year followed a predictable pattern:

two semesters and a lengthy summer break. Elyn would have the most trouble with her

condition during the summer vacations. Her bustling and fascinating life on college would

abruptly come to an end, and she would return home to her parents, alone and bored.

Pay attention to all sides of your self

Elyn's psychoanalysis assisted her in discovering this really valuable piece of information. He

points out that she has three distinct parts: one that is concerned with her work, one with her

mental illness, and one with her inner needs. She realizes she devoted all of her time and

energy to her professional and mentally ill selves while neglecting the rest of her life. She

saw a difference in her condition when she began to include self-care and socialization into

her daily routine. This message may apply to anybody, but it is especially vital for people

who suffer from mental illnesses.

Be kind, you don’t know what might be plaguing others

People who were unaware of Elyn's mental illness would frequently make nasty and stupid

remarks regarding mental illness. From a student expressing that she would never trust

someone on psychiatric medicine to work to a professor claiming that psychotic individuals

don't suffer like "the rest of us," there has been a lot of discussion. It's hard to tell what

individuals are going through in silence, no matter how "normal" or high functioning they

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appear on the outside. It might be a mental health problem, a chronic sickness, a prior trauma,

or continuing family problems. The goal is to be empathetic rather than judgemental as much

as possible. Others may appear to be moving through life with ease, yet in reality they may be

using all of their power simply to get through the day. "People with mental illness want what

we all desire, to work and to love," Elyn adds, quoting Sigmund Freud.

ANALYSE THE MESSAGES APPROACHES USED BY THE MEDIA TO MENTAL

DISORDERS

Humans are sociable animals by nature. To prosper in life, we require the company of others,

and the strength of our bonds has a significant influence on our mental health and happiness.

Being socially linked to people may help you cope with stress, worry, and depression,

increase your self-esteem, bring comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to

your life. On the other hand, a lack of strong social relationships might put your mental and

emotional health at danger.

Many of us use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram

to locate and communicate with one another in today's society. While each has its own set of

advantages, it's vital to realize that social media will never be a substitute for genuine human

interaction. In order to trigger the hormones that relieve stress and make you feel happier,

healthier, and more optimistic, you must interact with individuals in person. Spending too

much time on social media, ironically for a tool that is supposed to bring people closer

together, may instead make you feel lonelier and alienated, as well as worsen mental health

issues like anxiety and depression.

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CONCLUSION

I strongly suggest Elyn Saks' story of mental illness since it provides a dramatic portrayal of a

severe mental health issue. This Ted presentation has done and continues to do wonders for

the mental health community by bringing empathy and understanding to a topic that is

frequently overlooked in our culture. It is a fantastic method to acquire insight into the

perspective of persons who have loved ones with a mental health problem, especially a

psychotic-related disorder. I hope that those who see my Ted presentation take away the idea

that mental health and mental illness are normal parts of life. One that is filled with pleasures,

sorrows, challenges, and victories.

REFERENCES

Jones, James T. R., Surviving the Scourge of Schizophrenia: A Law Professor's Story - A

Review of Elyn Saks' 'The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness'. Hastings

Women's Law Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2008, University of Louisville School of Law Legal

Studies Research Paper Series No. 2008-06, Available at SSRN:

https://ssrn.com/abstract=1077866

Nancy C. Andreasen et al., Positive and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Critical

Reappraisal, 47 ARCHIVES GEN. P SYCHIATRY 615, 615–16 (1990); Paolo Fusar-Poli et

al., Treatments of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: Meta-Analysis of 168 Randomized

Placebo-Controlled Trials, 41 SCHIZOPHRENIA B ULL . 892, 892 (2014).