Sociology of Medicine: Personal Ethnography - Essay Example

of School] Personal Ethnography I am Marvin Randall. I was first diagnosed with the bipolar condition at a tender age. At that time, I was never aware of the condition. It was because I did not know a lot about mental illnesses. As such, it was the most horrible thing I have ever experienced in my life. I was only fifteen years of age. I was so depressed that I began self injurious behaviors, such as cutting myself as a way of reducing the depression that I had. I pushed everyone away from me including family members, friends, siblings, and teachers. As a result, I ended up spending a lot of time alone, despising myself and the environment around me. Regular cutting When the cutting continued and was more regular, I assumed it would be okay to conclude that I was addicted to the habit. After scaring everyone away, I developed new friends online as that was the only way that I could get someone to talk to. I chatted with the strangers online at my tender age. Chatting got me into in horrible situations. I started abusing drugs and discovered new friends. The only problem with my new friends was that my mother never liked them and did not approve of any of them. That was in spite of the fact that I was never on good terms with my mother. I had made both my mother and father emotionally and mentally exhausted. I guessed they did not know how to handle my situation. Most difficult moment There is one moment of my life that is difficult for me to forget. It was the time my mother was admitted in hospital after she collapsed as a result of chest pains related to stress. I was told it was because of me that she had to undergo all that. I felt bad and blamed myself for causing this misfortune. To make matters worse, I was far from recovery and the situation made me regress to my little world full of razor blades and solitude. I visited several doctors and was hospitalized on many occasions. At that stage, I was formally diagnosed bipolar disorder. Despite all those struggles I went through at the young age, I managed to graduate from high school. Whenever I remember all that I went through when young, I find it difficult to believe that I managed to persevere all those misfortunes. Discussing everything I went through and describing my recovery path can take more than a day. Limited life Personally, I remained in a life-is-limited change stage for so long. The long time, in that case, refers to years of perseverance that I went through. I was aware of the problems I faced in life, but I never had an interest of solving them in any way. It is difficult to tell whether I was hopeless or found a lot of comfort in the sadness and solitude I went through at that time. It was because of fear of losing the little amount of self-control I had in me. I argued that since the individuals around me were already aware of the fact that I was crazy, there was no reason for changing my personality or character. Even at times that I felt that I had to do something positive about my status; I still felt there was no need of doing so. It was because of the belief I had earlier developed about the way people viewed me. As a result, I was afraid to try anything positive about changing my status. I could not even try doing so. Instead, I was always wondering why nobody understood or why everybody was against me in the society. All the people I met and interacted with assumed that the act of cutting that I engaged in was equivalent to suicide. None of them wanted to understand the reasons for the action. Currently, there is so much information available about bipolar disorder. At my tender age, the people in the community I lived in had very little information about my condition. I think it is the reason for the treatment I received from the community during my illness. That is why I had a difficult time changing their perceptions on my status. How can you convince a reasonable person that cutting yourself by dragging a blade across the skin is a therapy for any illness? That is one of the questions I used to ask myself at that time. I can recall one time that I cut myself so deep and I was terrified. I was alone in the house and made up my mind to visit the nearest health center. I did the best I could to inform the medical staff that I was in need of urgent help. It was because I was losing a lot of blood from the cuts and hyperventilating. As such, I could pass out anytime. I was taken to a room, and my ventilation controlled. After that, I was informed of the arrival of the doctor to examine my cuts and to recommend further treatment. When the doctor arrived, he examined the whole of my body. From his looks, it was easy to confirm that he was not pleased with what he saw in me. What followed next was the presence of a social health worker in my room. I was threatened of police involvement in case I refused to voluntarily participate in the suicide evaluation that I was to be taken through. I was pissed off from the conclusion made by the healthcare practitioners about the connection between my case and death. All the fear I had was all gone. Instead of being scared, I became defiant and defended myself from the suicidal claims. I lost the battle and complied with the demands of the social worker. I answered all the questions she raised so that she could confirm the fact that my actions were never suicidal. It was that situation that shook me and made me have second thoughts about my actions and lifestyle in general. I was ready to begin the process changing the various aspects of my life. After the incidence, I identified the necessary assistance by myself. I started on some treatment and carried out a personal research on the condition I was going through. After I had obtained enough knowledge about the illness, I was in a position to learn the various styles that I could adopt to cope up with the condition and was even able to stop substance abuse. When written, my life experience sounds simple and ordinary, but the readers should know that I went through trauma and suffering for more than five years before I could reach the recovery stage. The story about my life experience may not be shocking when put in writing. However, it is difficult to express the emotional trauma I went through in writing. I hope never to experience the feelings of hopelessness that I underwent again. There were certain times I felt like taking my life, I lacked friends and hated myself with a passion. What I went through was a truly awkward moment. I count myself lucky because many of the dangerous experiences I went through never resulted in adverse outcomes in my life. I am happy and pleased to say that am currently a peer counselor. I work with various CBOs and Mental Health Specialists to help other mental health individuals live positively. I am currently an undergraduate student and have a fulfilling life. I am glad to be in a position to share the knowledge I have and my life experiences with the others with the hope that it will impact positively on their lives. Social Theories The social imagination theory is one of the principles that can be used to connect the troubles faced by an individual with the significant public issues (Mills, pg327). It is utilized in comparing the personal, historical and social dimensions of the life of an individual and to understand the difference that exists between the public issues and personal troubles (Quindlen, pg63). At the start, it is in order to understand what the personal problems and the public issues mean and get the differences between the two (Quindlen, pg63). The personal problems of the milieu refer to the problems that an individual experiences in his or her daily life. It is associated with the character of the individual and the limited social life areas that he is personally and directly aware. The problems can be solved as a result of the wish of the person to change because they are influenced by the individual factors (Quindlen, pg63). The public issues, on the other hand, are triggered by the societal structure or when the various societies institutions fail. A private affair is described as trouble, while a public affair is an issue (Mills, pg327). When considered as a public issue, bipolar results from triggers in the society. It is because of the incidences in the society that an individual becomes depressed. Even though the disease is attributed to the genetic causes too, its symptoms are often triggered by depression. From the basic description of public affair s or issues, bipolar disorder can be termed as a public issue. It is never an individual affair (Gecas, pg97). The individual, therefore, has to recognize the societal history in order to comprehend the society, as well as how to fit in it (Albert, pg23). When one understands the relation between personal problems and the public issues, he will appreciate that some other people share the same problem that he or she has. As such, he recognizes the fact that he does not need to struggle individually. Instead, he should join other people with the same problems in the society and fight as a group. Individuals that have bipolar disorder have similar characteristics (Albert, pg23). Patients suffering from this condition have to understand that the condition is as a result of the forces his or her milieu or history (Gecas, pg97). The chemical imbalance in the brain that characterizes the condition is as a result of the depression caused by the society and other factors. Since the symptoms of the disease are often triggered by a stressful situation or circumstance, it is possible that the milieu contributes to the symptoms (Albert, pg23). To avoid the depression that can result in mania, the individual has to think himself far from the routines of the daily life that are familiar. Instead, the individual affected or diagnosed with bipolar should view things from an entirely different perspective (Gecas, pg97). That can be linked closely with my situation. I managed to accept my situation the moment I changed my perception about my lifestyle and actions. That means I freed myself from the previous context and looked at everything in an alternative-point-of-view. Based on the knowledge from sociology, it is possible that the society is the cause of the many problems that individuals face (Gecas, pg97). That is against the belief that connects the personal failings and foibles to the various conditions and problems of the individuals. That is also experienced in the case of the bipolar disorder (Tulloch, pg197). Depression that triggers the symptoms of the illness can result from the effects of the milieu. Sociology, therefore, has the role of changing the personal troubles into political and public issues. It, therefore, implies that the remote historical and impersonal forces can be directly linked to the various incidents that take place in the life of a person (Tulloch, pg197). The perception of my community on my condition made me keep everyone away. As a result, I lived a life with no friends, and I had to chat with strangers. That worsened my situation. My milieu, therefore, contributed to the worsening of my condition. As such, a person with bipolar like me may view the situation as a social issue and link their experiences with the societal workings. For instance, the bipolar individuals connect their personal circumstances to the various social forces relevant to their milieu (Mills, pg327). Shaping of personal choice Most of the troubles faced by individuals in the society have social connections and are always shared by very many individuals and bipolar disorder is no exception (Gecas, pg97). (Mill, pg327). The roots of the bipolar illness are related to the societal structure and the various changes within it. In the treatment of the condition, the doctors or the health care practitioner has to prove why the illness has sociological causes. By so doing, the people suffering from the bipolar disease are in a position to determine whether or not their biography has a link to the history and structure of the society (Gecas, pg97). That enables the individuals to transform their personal discomfort into public issues so as to expedite the social change (Brewer, pg173). Such insights can be practically applied in making the bipolar disorder a significant public issue by the individuals affected. The society always views the presence of the illness in an individual as either a result of the family of the person or because of the personal impairment and chemical imbalances in the brain (Gecas, pg97). As such, it results from more personal causes. The affected people, therefore, seek for the causes amongst themselves, as they internalize the condition (Brewer, pg173). However, the various feelings, thoughts, and ideas that the affected person may have, and the situations encountered in life, may not be unique. They must have been at one time experienced by some other people in the society (Mills, pg327). When an individual lives in the society like mine, the person has to understand his milieu before coming up with the various ways of going about the disease (Gecas, pg97). It is because the society could be ignorant of the condition. By assuming that the society he lives in is aware of the disease, the patient could end up doing certain things that have adverse effects on his life. That was the situation I was in the past decade (Gecas, pg97). By assuming that everyone was literally against me without considering the understanding of the society on my condition, I chased away everyone and did many bad things that I regret till now (Gecas, pg97). That implies that understanding one’s society or community is significant in controlling, preventing and treating the illness. That is one of the reasons for considering the disease a great public issue (Abramovitz, pg301). Bipolar disorder can be a very negative personal experience. The feelings of depression are traumatizing, especially when in solitude as a result of the stigma by the society (Mills, pg241). Personal responsibility for the condition is visualized when one cannot control his feelings and engages in suicidal activities like indulging in self injurious behavior, such as cutting yourself using a razor blade (Ralph, pg78). However, when the number of individuals with the condition rises to more than ten percent of the population in the society, it is never viewed as a result of personal failures or weaknesses. Instead, the societal structure is attributed to the problem. Many individuals in the society will ask themselves whether something exists in the milieu that is responsible for the large number of individuals who are affected by the condition (Brewer, pg173). Once the individuals with the same issue in the society have identified themselves, they are in a position to form various self-help groups to help them in the fight against the condition. As such, the issue is viewed as a public problem that is fought as a group (Ralph, pg78). That situation best explains my own case with the bipolar condition. Before I could change my own perception, I viewed the issue as a personal one (Mills, pg327). As a result, I isolated myself from the society and only found solace from strangers online who did not know about my condition. I remained in solitude for long before the most traumatizing event occurred in my life. It was after that incident that I changed my own perception of everything and everyone. It indicates that once a person with bipolar identifies the condition as a public issue, the individual is in a position to join hands with the others with the same condition and face the challenges (Abramovitz, pg301). If the disease is not controlled, it can be a serious public issue. It is because when large numbers of individuals in the nation suffer from the mental diseases or illness, the working population will reduce. When that happens, the productivity of the country is likely to reduce. It is because the highly skilled individuals who are very productive will spend most of their time going through the various treatment procedures to recover from the illness (Ralph, pg78). Also, a lot of public resources will be used in the treatment of the patients that result from the illness. Those resources could be utilized in other sectors of the economy to impact positively on the lives of other individuals with other needs (Frank, pg21). That demonstrates the fact that bipolar is not an individual affair. Instead, it affects the society and the nation and should be handled appropriately (Roy, pg549). In addition, bipolar can be explained using the public concern of mental disorders that is caused by depression and other factors (Roy, pg549). That means bipolar can be described as a social issue and not an issue that results from personal weaknesses of failures. Even though the idea of social imagination applies in the case of the bipolar illness, there is the caution not to use it to prevent individuals from working hard within the society (Frank, pg21). Those who fail to work hard may attribute their laziness of failures to the societal dynamics, which is not acceptable. In the case of the bipolar patients, it is important to understand that you cannot face the condition at individual levels (Roy, pg549). It is imperative to come together with the other members of the society to get the necessary interventions to cope with bipolar (Frank, pg21). When a large number of the individuals in the society have bipolar, members’ need to come up with ways to identify its root cause including genetic factors or even chemical imbalances in the brain. Depression could be due to the social stigma faced by the bipolar people in the society (Roy, pg549). When all those are identified and taken care of in time, the solutions will be identified in time before the disease can impact negatively on the individual. Because the disease or illness cannot be prevented at the individual level, it is important that all the patients understand the principle of social imagination and be in a position to utilize it all time. By so doing, they will be able to change their personal situation and to come up with a better society (Abramovitz, pg301). When the patients who suffer from the disease form self-help groups to fight the illness, they are likely to succeed in the fight. It is because they share a lot within the society concerning the disease. Some of the things they share include life experiences, the symptoms, and the individual initiatives they have taken in their lifetime to get rid of the condition, amongst many other things (Wright, pg268). By sharing their life experiences, they learn the mistakes that had been committed by their colleagues with the same illness. For instance, my own life experience is touching (Gecas, pg97). Whenever I share it with the other individuals with the condition, they tend to change their own perceptions on the same. By sharing my own experience with other people, I help in changing their perceptions of the society and everything in general. As such, they start viewing life positively and seek medical attention on their illnesses (Wright, pg268). The fact that the process of treatment of the bipolar disease needs a total change of the behavior of the individual and his perceptions of the milieu indicated the need for group dynamics in solving the problem (Brewer, pg173). It therefore, underpins the importance of visualizing the illness as a public issue in the process of treatment. If a person handles the issue at the individual level, he or she will not be in a position to have an alternate view of the society and everything around him or her (Roy, pg549). As a result, he will resist treatment offered to him the way I did in the first case. It is, therefore, important to interact with others in order to obtain more information on the illness. That best explains why the bipolar illness is a public issue that should not be handled individually. Conclusion Based on my own personal experience with the bipolar disorder and the social theories and principles, especially on social imagination, I have identified the disease as a great public issue. It is because it is not caused by individual failures or weaknesses, but by chemical imbalances in the brain and genetics. In addition, its symptoms are triggered by depression that is mainly from the milieu (Mills, pg327). The treatment of the condition involves the change of perception that cannot be easily influenced by the individual level. As it happened in my case, two or more individuals have to be involved. Since the issue affects a large number of the population and caused by factors that do not result from individual misgivings, the bipolar condition is considered a public issue. It is, therefore, a public menace that should be handled by the general public, but not at the individual level (Roy, pg549). References Abramovitz, Melissa. Bipolar Disorder. 2nd ed. Vol. 04. Detroit: Lucent, 2013. 301-339. Print. Brewer, J. D. "The New Sociological Imagination." European Journal of Social Theory 40.5 (2013): 173-76. Print. Mills C. Wright, "C. Wright Mills: Letters and Autobiographical Writings." Contemporary Sociology 4.1 (2011): 327. Print. Frank, E. Treating Bipolar Disorder: A Clinicians Guide to Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy. 1st ed. Vol. 2. New York: Guilford, 2012. 21-34. Print. Gecas, Viktor. "Rekindling the Sociological Imagination In Social Psychology." Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 102.2 (2012): 97-115. Print. Ralph, I. "Power, Politics and People. The Collected Essays of C. Wright Mills." The British Journal of Sociology 11.9 (2010): 78-82. Print. Mills, C. Wright. "Personal Problems and Public Issues." The Sociological Imagination. 3rd ed. Vol. 10. New York: Oxford UP, 1959. 231-334. Print. Roy H., A. Nierenberg. "Revisiting Depressive-Prone Bipolar Disorder: Polarity of Initial Mood Episode and Disease Course Among Bipolar I Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder Participants." Biological Psychiatry 21.2 (2013): 549-53. Print. Quindlen, Anna. Thinking out Loud: On the Personal, the Political, the Public, and the Private. 2nd ed. Vol. 12. New York: Random House, 2013. 63-67. Print. Albert R. Social Workers Desk Reference. 2nd ed. Vol. 40. Oxford [England: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Tulloch, John C. "Sociology of Knowledge and the Sociology of Literature." The British Journal of Sociology 20.1 (2010): 197. Print. Wright, James D. "Comments on Reviews of Books on C. Wright Mills." Contemporary Sociology 9.3 (2014): 268. Print. Read More