Shunned

Thornicroft, Graham. Shunned: Discrimination against Mental Illness. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/joped-11-no-1-2009-book-review.pdf

This book, or at least the review I read of it, is completely facinating. What would it be like to be mentally handicapped in a world where no one seems to really care what you think? This book brings that to question, attacking the medical system and many other systems along the way. Through the personal accounts of others with the same predicament, the research shows that people with a mental illness usually don't get health care, a well-paying job if even a job, and being treated terribly at their very own medical institution and home. But he also shows how this can be changed, through the education of mental illness so more people can understand what they're going through. It's not really like they can help it to be honest. Also, he points out that in a survey conducted in the United Kingdom, 77 percent of people knew someone with a mental illness but the only knowledge really attained was from the mass media. Everyone knows that the mass media is sometimes...sketchy when it comes to providing genuine information especially on such a touchy subject. In my personal opinion, I think it's terribly wrong what's happening to the people who are affected. They shouldn't be treated any differently than us. Though they may not have what we take for granted, they still have feelings and thoughts. They should be allowed to choose what type of treatment they are recieving like the force feeding of anorexics (Article I did a while back). Though much is covered in the book, I still believe more can be done to bring awareness.

But then again, that's just my opinion.