Mental illness
Mental illness   also referred to as Mental disorder is an health condition that involve changes
in emotion, thinking and behavior. When I hear of someone with a mental illness I think of a
violent person who can attack someone at any given time, upon hearing of an individual with
mental illness I see a highly distrub person with a daze look ,almost like a terrified look as if
something  or someone is chasing them. People with mental illness acts withdrawn from
friends and family , they have excessive mood changes.In my mind  these individuals they
need to stay isolated in a treatment center where they can get help so they do not harm
themselves or others .My source  of information about people with mental illness is from over
hearing others talking about someone they know with the illness and it sounds scary.
Watching the news about folks with mental illness makes me feel  sorry for them ,especially
the younger kids sometimes the news will show them getting abuse in the daycare or at
school by teachers and care takers who do not have the knowledge about the illness and do
not have the patience of dealing with such individuals. I believe the misconception about this
illness is that people who have it cannot live a normal life , fall in love and have children. As
a Certified Nursing Assistant I work with patients with mental illness , working in  the mental
ward is not my top choice as it is rather depressing for me to see young and old
patients ,some crying uncontollable ,some locked in a small isolated room , some looking in
space , while others are talking to invisible figures and making funny sounds .As I reflect on
a night I was asked to work the mental ward my very first experience I literally froze when I
went on the unit , I was given strict rules and also ways to protect myself from sudden attacks
from the patients ,I was assigned to a particular young man , he did not sleep throught out the
night , walked back and forth in the small room and constantly hitting his head , he asked for
a shower and refused to leave the bathroom , I had to get assistant to get him out . I
personally know someone with a mental disorder call Schizophrenia ,this individual was very
reserved , he spend most of the day inside his room and was on medicated, no one would
know that he has a  mental illness if not told.Mental illness  left untreated can increase the
risk for other diseases such as eating disorder ,heart disease and stroke.
WC-433

Reference

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Mental disorders. World Health Organization. Retrieved March 29,
2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders