Persons Suffering from Mental Illnesses - Term Paper Example

Treatment techniques of mental illnesses throughout history Mental illness can be regarded as a condition that disrupts the normal functioning of an individual; mental illnesses make people dysfunctional in that they may not perform some tasks, or they may find themselves in some states. Mental illnesses have an impact on a person’s mood, feeling, thinking, as well as the capacity of a person to relate to other persons and function properly. Persons suffering from mental illnesses may face challenges when it comes to coping with the day to day demands in their lives. The perception of mental illnesses tends to differ from one culture to another. As a result, different cultures have varying views of what is considered normal and what can be regarded as abnormal. A culture’s perception of mental illnesses has an impact on the intervention strategies, which will be employed while treating a mental illness (Videbeck 4). Traditionally, the psychotherapy relied upon in the treatment of mental disorders borrowed a lot from the psychoanalytic framework, as well as the existential approaches. The influence of Sigmund Freud in the treatment of mental disorders is remarkable owing to the fact that the notion of psychoanalysis can be traced back to his works. This paper will examine how the views on mental illnesses have influenced the techniques of treatment throughout history. The paper will also explore some of the Greek and Roman perceptions of mental illnesses, as well as views of mental illnesses during the Middle Ages. The paper draws from the works of various authors in answering the study questions. The views and treatment of mental disorders throughout history Throughout history, there have been various perceptions of mental illnesses that have guided the treatment of these diseases, as well as how the society perceives mentally ill persons. Among the Greeks, Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, perceived mental illnesses as conditions that could be understood in relation to physiology that can be termed as disturbed. The Greek held that mental illnesses can be understood in the realm of possession by demons, or the anger of gods. Medical practitioners in Greek later on came up with treatments, which could be used for persons suffering from mental illnesses. These new forms of treatment focussed on the use of drugs in treating mental illnesses, as well as availing care from the family members who provide support to the mentally ill persons (Videbeck 5). The Greek can be regarded as the first group of people that identified mental illnesses as conditions as opposed to the belief mental illnesses signified wicked supernatural powers. According to the Greeks, conditions such as hysteria only affected women as a result of their uterus that could be considered as wandering. The Greek also used some unique ways of treating mental illnesses. For instance, psychosis was treated using blood-letting while the treatment of depression took place through bathing. Based on the treatment methods employed by the Greeks, there was no room for the use of words that could console the patient (Davies et al. 18). In Greece, there was some stigma attached to mental illnesses during the ancient times; mentally-ill persons suffered a lot of shame, humiliation, and loss of respect. Ancient Greeks believed that mental illnesses were an indication of punishment for both the major, as well as minor transgressions, which a person may have committed. The Greek society always shunned and isolated those individuals who had any form of mental condition. Some people could be locked up in order to keep them off from other people, and to some extent some could be killed in order to prevent them from becoming a nuisance to others in the society (Bewley 4). With time, the Greeks came to believe that the agents they did not see could not be used as the basis upon which mental disorders could be understood. As a result, there arose a need to know the exact causes of mental illnesses, as well as come up with new strategies for treating mental disorders. This saw a shift of the treatment methods from supernatural and mystical strategies to sophisticated methods, which embraced notions related to modernity. In ancient Greece, the treatment of mental disorders mainly focussed on the removal of impurities. This emanated from the belief that the Greeks believed that the main causes of mental illnesses comprised of these impurities. Therefore, there was a need to remove these impurities since this would rid the mentally-ill persons of the conditions they had (Bewley 7). The treatment of mental illnesses among the ancient Greeks included the mediation of the patients’ prayers by priests. This would help in assuring the sick person that they would get cured as the priests asked the gods to cure them. The Greeks believed that prayers by the priests contributed immensely to the purification of the evil spirits, which the sick persons were believed to have. The perception of mental illnesses among the Greeks also focussed on the theorizing of the four humours, as theorized by Hippocrates. Hippocrates believed that these humours, which he categorised a body fluids, could be regarded as the main causes of mental and physical conditions. The four fundamental fluids that caused mental illnesses include blood, the yellow bile, the black bile, as well as phlegm (Davies et al. 20). According to Hippocrates, the possession of a variety of these fluids could contribute to changes in a person’s behaviour, as well as personality. For instance, he held that having too much black bile could make a person depressed (melancholic) while having too much of yellow bile could make a person choleric (easily irritable or having anxiety). On the same note, having a lot of phlegm would make a person phlegmatic. Hippocrates also believed that a person would become a sanguine if he or she had too much of the blood. A sanguine tends to exhibit shifts in the mood, which tends to destabilise him, or her. Although the views of Hippocrates lasted for a period of 500 years, they were later revoked by the beliefs in supernatural powers, which later came to take centre stage in the explanation of mental disorders among the Greeks. Supernatural theories came along with the cruel models used to treat mental illnesses (Videbeck 7). Among the Romans, mental illnesses were believed to be caused by excess tightening of the brain pores. This used to take place from time to time; it was periodic and did not happen at all times. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans did not believe that mental illnesses emanated from the conflicts in the humours. The Romans built health facilities, which dealt with the treatment of mental disorders. These facilities used to be staffed with clergy with most mentally sick persons being housed in monasteries. The Romans believed that the treatment of mental illnesses depended a lot on attending church regularly, as well as making regular visits to shrines and pilgrimages. Persons suffering from mental illnesses could always be encouraged by priests to repent their sins as this would play a crucial role in treating the mental disorders (Boyd 2). The Roman Empire majorly focussed on the use of the facilities run by the clergy when treating mental illnesses. This is because the care offered to the sick mentally-ill persons in these facilities used to be humane and this aided in the recovery of the patients. The beliefs of the Romans regarding mental illnesses were based on superstition and fear as dominant attitudes. The Romans were lenient on how they dealt with some of the situations that could lead to mental disorders. For example, they tolerated the consumption of alcohol, and they never treated it an as unacceptable behaviour, which could lead to mental illnesses. The persons perceived to be mentally ill could be seen as irresponsible and incompetent. Such persons were in the custody of their relatives, or guardians appointed by the court (Bewley 9). During the middle ages, the Roman Empire fell, and this led to the establishment of strong beliefs in the supernatural. This signified the introduction of torture methods as ways treating mental illnesses. There were various methods used to exorcise evil spirits that were believed to possess persons suffering from mental illnesses. The beliefs centred on dealing with a mentally-ill person forcefully with the main aim of punishing the evil spirit that dwelt in such a person. Some of the methods employed in the treatment of mental disorders encompassed exposure, starvation, as well as beatings that were believed to remove evil spirits from the patient. Exorcists believed that the possessed person was a victim who was possessed unwillingly. In some cases, the possessed persons were believed to have made an agreement with the devil, and they had to be punished for their relationship with the devil (Davies et al. 21). In the middle ages, persons suffering from mental illnesses could be subjected to stigma by other society members. For a long period, ostracism persisted, and this led to the segregation of the mentally-ill persons. In some cases, persons suffering from mental disturbances could be placed in sailing vessels and left to die. Such vessels where these persons used to be sailed in could be referred as “ships of fools.” Confinement could also be used as a mode of treatment; this meant that the mentally sick persons had to be isolated from the rest of society. The perceptions of the mentally sick persons also encompassed an inclusion of the physically handicapped, the poor, as well as those who had impairments in their developmental capacities (Davies et al. 22). For many decades during the middle ages, people suffering from mental disorders could be said to be mixed between fascination and horror. In some instances, people were advised not to relate to the mentally sick patients as this would also make them sick. During the 19th century, the belief in religious and supernatural forces diminished. This saw the rise of scientific investigation in explaining the causes of mental illnesses and the ways of treating these illnesses. Some of the factors documented as causes of mental disorders during this time included religiosity, solitude, as well as disturbances that emanated from jealousy (Bewley 12). The numerous developments in the 19th century brought a lot of changes, which had an impact on the treatment of mental disorders. In the 1800s, North America and Europe witnessed a dramatic increase in the asylums, which contributed to the treatment of mental disorders. As a result of the development of the asylums, psychiatry gained recognition as a specialty in the medical field. This changed the perceptions that the society held about mental illnesses as medical practitioners engaged patients practically. Science became more prestigious than in the past, which led to the ultimate recognition of psychiatrists as professionals who specialised in the treatment of mental illnesses (First and Allan 7). The major developments in psychiatry changed the perceptions of people about mental illnesses and the various methods that could be used to treat these illnesses. Several therapies emerged in order to help medical practitioners deal with the various mental illnesses. For example, Carl Rogers came up with the interpersonal therapy during the 1940s. This approach deals with acceptance of the patient or client by the therapist. From the 1940s to the 1960s, there developed numerous psychotherapies that aided in the treatment of mental disorders. The therapies ranged from cognitive behaviour therapies to the use of approaches such as psychodrama. The use of such approaches marked a revolution in the treatment of mental disorders and significantly altered the perceptions that people had about the dynamics of mental illnesses (First and Allan 10). The advancement in the treatment of mental disorders can also be argued with regard to the use of drugs in the treatment of mental disorders. From 1800, drugs have gained immense popularity as a principal method of treating mental disorders. The use of drugs was coupled with the use of surgery and electro-convulsive therapy in treating people suffering from mental disorders such as schizophrenia. The treatment of mental disorders using surgery has focussed on the surgical removal of a part of the brain. This form of treatment has been widely used in treating obsessions, depression, schizophrenia, as well as anxiety that may be severe. Psychotherapy also advanced to include brief treatment of mental disorders, as opposed to treating mental disorders over a long period. The new forms of therapy that emerged aimed at ensuring that intervention strategies addressed the conditions of clients within a short time (Boyd 3). The advancement in the treatment methods from 1800 onwards was also precipitated by the introduction of insurance plans, which have played a crucial role in covering issues related to mental illnesses. Modern therapies also help clients to deal with some of the causes of mental illness and teach them how to avoid mental illnesses in the future. This has been strengthened by the introduction of sophisticated intervention strategies since the 19th century (Boyd 4). Mind forged manacles can also be used as the basis for explaining the causes of mental disorders. In explaining mental disorders, mind forged manacles symbolise the handcuffs or aspects that restrain mentally ill persons. In his explanation of mind forged manacles, Roy Porter refers to the manacles caused by the mind. He contends that mentally ill persons tend to be restrained by the circumstances surrounding their lives. Mind forged manacles mean that the suffering that the mentally-ill persons go through comes from within. Mind forged manacles raise the argument that persons having mental disorders may create some obstacles, which hinder them from achieving their potential. In this regard, some groups of people tend to create some obstacles that challenge their freedom. As a result, they may not have the capacity to exploit their full potential. Based on the idea of mind forged manacles, individuals such as soldiers, commercial sex workers, as well as sweepers tend to suffer from some mental contradictions (First and Allan 13). The historical understanding of mental disorders can also be attributed to the works of Oliver Sacks. In his explanations of mental disorders, Oliver Sacks explored the issue of hallucinations, whereby he contends that there are various factors that can be considered to be the causes of hallucinations. Sacks argued that hallucinations have some stigma attached to them. This emanates from the fact there tends many factors that can be said to be the causes of hallucinations and this results to numerous misunderstandings on the issue of hallucinations. According to Sacks, uncomplicated hallucinations can be found in sensory areas that play the role of perception. Based on his research, Sacks believed that medical practitioners have a subjective view of hallucinations since they perceive them as madness. This is mostly the case when individuals report that they have heard voices (Boyd 6). Conclusion Mental illnesses have an impact on a person’s mood, feeling, thinking, as well as the capacity of a person to relate to other persons and function properly. The Greek held that mental disorders may be understood in the realm of possession by demons, or the anger of gods. Among the Romans, mental illnesses were believed to be caused by excess tightening of the brain pores. The advancement in the treatment of mental disorders can also be argued with regard to the use of drugs in the treatment of mental disorders. Modern therapies help clients to deal with some of the causes of mental illness and teach them how to avoid mental illnesses in the future. Works Cited Boyd, Michael. Psychiatric Nursing. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007. Print. Bewley, Thomas. Madness to Mental Illness: A History of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2008. Print. Davies, Janet L, and Ellen H. Janosik. Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing: A Caring Approach. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1991. Print. First, Michael and Allan Tasman. Clinical Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print. Videbeck, Sheila L. Psychiatric-mental Health Nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Print. Read More