Moral values

It would be gross injustice to categorize all children and youths as lacking in manners and morals, but the general trend would certainly suggest there has been a major decline among many of them. Family values have changed dramatically in the past few decades, producing a crop of undisciplined teenagers and children who lack morals and manners as a result of poor training. Good manners were once the norm with young people very much aware the older generation.Saying â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank ou†, giving up a seat on the bus and holding open doors were all considered normal mannerly behavior. Times have changed and we now live in a predominantly me-first society which is reflected in many young people. If good manners are taught at an early age, they will generally continue to be part of the personality of the young child all the way into adulthood. The lack of good manners observed in society in general is no doubt a reflection of the situation found within the home .Without parental xample and training the area of manners, it is likely the children will sadly lack in displaying them. The same can be said of the lack of morals we find in many of today's youth. A large proportion of children have grown up with little or no respect for authority, for property, for family or even themselves. Living a life of immorality is considered normal behavior today and has produced a bumper crop of young people with venereal disease, unwanted pregnancies and a feeling of emptiness in their ives.Lacking in moral stability, we find young people involved in crime, violence and drug abuse. The so-called freedom they have has actually brought them into slavery to an amoral lifestyle. There is a contrast though in many children and teenagers who are moral and do have good manners, proving that it is still possible to develop these delightful characteristics. It is a real pleasure to come across young people who are mannerly and who have the courage to lead a moral life, not†¦ Moral values It would be gross injustice to categorize all children and youths as lacking in manners and morals, but the general trend would certainly suggest there has been a major decline among many of them. Family values have changed dramatically in the past few decades, producing a crop of undisciplined teenagers and children who lack morals and manners as a result of poor training. Good manners were once the norm with young people very much aware the older generation.Saying â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank ou†, giving up a seat on the bus and holding open doors were all considered normal mannerly behavior. Times have changed and we now live in a predominantly me-first society which is reflected in many young people. If good manners are taught at an early age, they will generally continue to be part of the personality of the young child all the way into adulthood. The lack of good manners observed in society in general is no doubt a reflection of the situation found within the home .Without parental xample and training the area of manners, it is likely the children will sadly lack in displaying them. The same can be said of the lack of morals we find in many of today's youth. A large proportion of children have grown up with little or no respect for authority, for property, for family or even themselves. Living a life of immorality is considered normal behavior today and has produced a bumper crop of young people with venereal disease, unwanted pregnancies and a feeling of emptiness in their ives.Lacking in moral stability, we find young people involved in crime, violence and drug abuse. The so-called freedom they have has actually brought them into slavery to an amoral lifestyle. There is a contrast though in many children and teenagers who are moral and do have good manners, proving that it is still possible to develop these delightful characteristics. It is a real pleasure to come across young people who are mannerly and who have the courage to lead a moral life, not†¦

Propp Theory and Casablanca essays

Propp Theory and Casablanca essays Propp and His Analysis about the Fairy Tales Vladimir Propp is a formalist who developed an analysis for stories to find whether they are fairy tales or not. In order to obtain this theory he studied the narrative of folk tales and observed that they have similar characters and struggles. Because of these, in his theory, Propp says that all fairy tales must share some basic elements, which he called funtions and to be a fairy tale, a story must contain all of these and also they must be used orderly. At the same time, he says that there are seven roles in a fairy story and he describes them not with peoples name but with their duties in the fairy tale. In this situation, some people can still say that Michael Curtizs romantic melodram Casablanca which is about two men, a woman and their love triangle and how peoples lives were changed and ruined by Nazis in the duration of World War II, is a fairy tale and some of them say it cannot be a fairy tale. In this essay what I will clarify is that Casablanca is not a fairy tale according to Propp and his theory by making character analysis and examining where the function are used or not used. First to understand whether Casablanca is a fairy tale or not the characters should be analysed and should be tried to fit with the characters in Propps theory. One of the important characters in the Casablanca is Richard Blaine, generally called Rick in the film, who is the hero of the film according to Propps theory. The events that are told in the film are generally about him. He falls in love with Ilsa who is the wife of Victor Laszlo, one of the legendary heroes of French resistance against Nazis, and is said that her husband was killed in the concentration camp. Ilsa is the princess of the film. The helper in the film is the chief of French policeman Louis Renault in Casablanca. During the film although he seems he is not a reliable man, at the end of th...

The Stanford Prison Experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Stanford Prison Experiment - Essay Example Such a trend was mostly observed during the post war era, where researchers displayed a keen interest in deciphering human behaviour associated with the two traits mentioned above and understands the psychology of people who showed increased levels of conformity and obedience to their authorities. Such an observation was primarily based on the Nazi concentration camps and the likes, where despite the immorality of the acts, people were seen to be submissive and obeying the orders given to them (Kassin, Fein, Markus, 2010; Smith, Mackie, 2000; Fiske, 2009). Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment: This experiment was conducted to study the psychological impact of prison life on the prisoners. As a part of this experiment, regular students were selected to perform the roles of prison guards and prisoners and were made to go through the exact same routines, as is usually observed in prisons. Newspaper advertisements were formally given out to invite ‘participants’ to p articipate in the experiment, and those who responded were ‘arrested’ without a prior warning and made to go through a thorough physical examination, similar to one carried out on real criminals. Such sudden and unexpected ‘arrests’ of the regular college going students, took them by surprise and the students were reported to experience mild shock, and humiliation due to the whole exercise (prisonexp.org, 2011). The experiment was deliberately designed to imitate the scenes from real prisons and steps were taken to disgrace the prisoners, thus resulting in a series of negative social, emotional, and psychological repercussions. The study, unlike other experiments followed all the major ethical considerations, and did not involve any kind of deception or tricks, it received widespread criticism for the unethical nature of the study. This was mainly because of reports of the participants being made to go through extreme social, psychological and emotional tur moil and the fact that they were deliberately exposed to situations involving high amount of stress. The proponents have argued that the experiment conducted were ethical in nature, since the participants were clearly informed about the type of study they have enrolled in. However, the opponents and critics have stated that the information provided to the participants was incomplete in nature, as their consent was taken based on insufficient data. The participants of this study were arrested without a prior warning or information which was least expected leading to stress and emotional turmoil (Shaugnessy et al., 2006). There were widespread criticisms regarding the authenticity and validity of the experiments conducted, especially with regard to the manner in which the study was replicated. It was argued that there is no way to replicate a real prison and hence highly impossible to extract similar reactions from ordinary individuals, since there is a vast amount of difference betwe en regular college going students and hardened criminals. Over and above the questions regarding the plausibility of the study, there were serious concerns regarding the credibility of the study as well, since critics argued that the study was highly generalized in nature and the observations could easily have been made by observing / studying the prisoners from Nazi concentration camps. Also, the study aimed to completely imitate the behaviour of prisoners from popular prison scenes and hence there was a

Discussion questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Discussion questions - Coursework Example Developing accurate expectations about the position to be occupied by aspiring employees is vital since it saves both individual and the company considerable time and resources. Inflated job expectations always results in new employees quitting the jobs after short stints (Schmitt, 2012). A Realistic Job Preview (RJP) is a recruitment approach employed by an organization in view of communicating vital aspects of the roles prior to offer of a job. This approach protects the merit system, enhances employee commitment and reduces turnover. Moreover, RJP provides the potential employee with a clear picture of what to expect as regards to the job (Schmitt, 2012). The elements of an effective recruitment action plan comprises of time horizons of recruitment activities. It also stipulates the approach of classifying applicant pool targets while also identifying the most appropriate techniques of contacting the targeted

Why or why not a well-known leader (of your choice) is leading Assignment

Why or why not a well-known leader (of your choice) is leading appropriately for the situation - Assignment Example Wynn had to direct his followers by offering them guidance so as to avoid doubt. His behavior and thinking were being accepted by his followers and he earned their trust. He has encouraged and supported them in attaining the goals that he had set for them. Wynn achieved this by making the path easy and clear for his juniors to follow. He offered the right guidance on the way for his followers and offered schedules to specific work since his subordinates had no experience. These initiatives boost control and the sense security for the followers. Thus, the path-goal theory is the right leadership theory to apply in the situation at hand (House, 128). Based on the analysis of this leader, the theory shows that Wynn as the leader is effective as he gets his followers able to achieve their goals and the goals of the organization. His followers accept his ways of leading and therefore readily and willingly follow

Great Balls of Flowers Essay Example for Free

Great Balls of Flowers Essay Throughout Steve Abees’s book Great Balls of Flowers the reoccurring themes that arise are sex, love, family and life. Within each poem he threads in a minimum of two themes, interweaving them so all the themes eventually overlap. The themes of sex, love and family are each representative of a major component of his life. His book gives readers insight as to what Abee is thinking and feeling within each poem, making them extremely personal for the reader. The title of the book was seemingly derived from Jerry Lee Lewis’s Song â€Å"Great Balls of Fire† which was written in 1957 on the movie based on Jerry Lee Lewis which was released in 1989. The movie discusses Lewis’ controversial life and his rise and fall as a rock star. Lewis suffered from substance abuse and resorted to alcoholism when times got bad. His song â€Å"Great Balls of Fire† is purely sexual discussing the arousal of a man, this song was one of Lewis’ major hits. Abee’s title â€Å"Great Balls of Flowers† is so appropriate especially with his replacement of fire with flowers. Flowers hold the softer connotation of love and peacefulness as Abee explains how he’s overcome his issues with the love he feels and receives from his family. Within select poems his love for his wife and children are startlingly apparent. He portrays himself with raw emotions that seem unbreakable. In the poem â€Å"Poem to my Wife†, he states, â€Å"I love you so much that when I touch you my fingers turn into miniature suns shining. † His portrayal of everlasting love and lust for his wife gives the reader insight as to his most personal and inner thoughts and emotions. Because of the rawness and bluntness of his emotions It is evident his poetry was used as an escape for Abee. His attachment to his wife leads the reader to think as a child there were issues with his family. Romance isn’t the only type of love Abee discusses, as he also mentions the love he has for his children. For his youngest daughter, Abee states â€Å"her voice opens me like breath. † He continues on to state â€Å"I’m trying to be good now Im trying not to be bad†, this gives the reader the idea that his children are now the motivation for him. It seems as if he had previously struggled with a personal issue that has disappeared because of the arrival of his children. Substance abuse seems appropriate as he refines it in the poem â€Å"Sucks† when he says â€Å"beer sucks. It’s good but it sucks. Marijuana sucks Crystal Meth sucks so bad. † His allusions to these substances would tie in as a strong connection to the title, â€Å"Great Balls of Flowers. † Abee never fails to insert a sexual innuendo within the majority of his poems. One example of his sexual references arise in the poem â€Å"Gas†, Abee states â€Å"when I lick your secrets, bombs begin to fall from your thighs. † His continual sexual references tie in greatly with the title, Great Balls of Flowers because it alludes to the 1957 hit song discussing sex. Sex seems to be a dominant theme throughout the book, as it was throughout many of Jerry Lee Lewis’ songs as well. Abee’s continuous blunt sexual references free him from the shackle soft society as he isn’t scared to discuss topics that seem controversial. His direct statements give the book a potent feel and, honest take on life. As the book goes on you can see the meniscal details in life that are typically overlooked are what Abee thrives upon. His poems are real portrayals of his daily routine and it gives the reader a personal connection with him and his mindset. Great Balls of Flowers consists of poems covering the themes of sex, love, family and life. His title is so appropriate these four themes are the pieces of Abee’s life which he discusses in his poetry giving readers in insight into his alternative perspective on life and love. Throughout Great Balls of Flowers Steve Abee uses imagery to help develop his tone and themes in his various poems. His use of imagery creates a clear picture that the reader can connect with. Those images, which are typically familiar to the reader help the reader, better understand the point Abee is trying to make. Abee uses a mix of concrete imagery alongside symbolic imagery, creating numerous layers for the reader to divulge in as the poems go on. One example of the imagery used is in the poem â€Å"Hail to the Things I Can Not See. † Abee states â€Å"Oh wind keeping seagulls aloft, squawking and hovering over my daughters and my hot dogs at Santa Monica Pier. † His use of imagery in this quote sets the setting for this poem. Along with it building a setting, it gives the poem a nostalgic feel because that’s where the author grew up. The familiar sounds he describes connect the reader to the beach, which carries light and happy connotations, reinforcing the nostalgic feel while integrating the positive tone. The city scape imagery portrays Abee as a city boy, giving readers an image of him. His juxtaposition of the city scene with more symbolic imagery gives the reader insight to what he sees life as helping him break free from the connotations that come with â€Å"city boy†. The stanza after the one previously stated says, â€Å"oh the gravity that holds the trees up and my bones together†, using imagery in more of a symbolic sense. Although gravity is something not visible to the human eye, Abee portrays it in a way that is viable to the reader. The contrast of the tangible with the symbolic give the poem a deeper feel. Another example of imagery can be seen in the poem, â€Å"Poem to My Wife†, Abee states â€Å"the innocent sea shore of our kiss, where hippies play on tambourine brain fried ukulele and we dance on crab grass sand†. His use of imagery in this quote not only sets the scene for this particular stanza but sets the mood for the entire poem. His use of the word ukulele gives the reader the view of the upbeat instrument that plays purely cheerful melodies, while the sand gives the reader an image of the beach giving the poem a bright tone. As he explains how they dance to the upbeat tunes, the reader can feel the joy radiating off the happy couple. This portrayal of why Abee is so infatuated with this wife, not only gives readers an insight into his marriage but an insight to his heart and what makes him happy. Within the poem previously discussed Abee states, â€Å"words†¦ rising up into a ball of Christmas lights, poof, explosion of holiday love. † This use of imagery is purely symbolic; words are personified to express his love for his wife giving the reader an idea of how extreme his passion is for his mate. His use of the image â€Å"Christmas Lights† give off the connotations of the holiday which is centered on love and happiness. These connotations give the poem an upbeat and warm tone, while the reader starts to see Abee in a different more loving sort of light. Along with the holiday connotations, his use of words like explosion give the poem a more passionate and yearning sort of feel, giving readers visuals of the intensity of his love. Abee’s use of imagery greatly constructs the tone and theme of the poem. Throughout the book there are instances where symbolic and tangible imagery contrast, following the same sort of pattern showed in this poem. This contrast sets the setting then divulges into Abees inner thoughts, giving readers a better perception of the author and a deeper understanding of his poetry. Throughout Great Balls of Flowers Steve Abee uses personification, similes and metaphors in various poems. Each of these devices holds a different effect over the reader, emphasizing and creating different images for the reader. Each example of figurative language holds a different effect on the reader but in all the point of the insertions of the figurative language is to accentuate the purpose of each poem. Steve Abee uses various similes in the poem, â€Å"Poem to my Wife†, one example of this can be seen in the quote, â€Å"loving you is like surfing the wave of benevolent impulse. † In this poem he is describing the intese love he feels for his wife and uses a simile to explain to the reader the extensity of his overwhelming emotions for her. Using the word benevolent describes the gentleness of the love the duo share while impose gives readers a sense of the intensity that kindness carries. Abee compares the love they share to surfing a wave giving readers a familiar image to compare the ‘ride† he feels with her. The insertion of a metaphor adds another layer to the poem , leaving room for interpretation from there reads, which contrasts well as Abee is explaining like his poetry , his love for his wife has numerous layers. Within the poem previously discussed, Abee uses personification to further explain the love he feels for his wife. The quote goes as follows, â€Å"But it (poem) wouldn’t be able to help itself. † Abee is explaining what a poem to his wife would consist of, and that is where he inserts the above quote. The use of personifications gives the reader a sense of how alive his love for his wife is. The intensity of his love can’t be explained with the used of an inanimate object so personifying the poem gives his love an image. Along with the aspect of imagery rat personification brings, it sets a tone for the entire poem. The personification of the â€Å"poem† gives the literal poem a loud but allusive tone. In the poem â€Å"Gas Station†, the entire first stanza consists of metaphors, Abee states, â€Å"Steve Abee is a gas station. † To start things off the first impression this holds on the reader is a whirlwind of thoughts in hope to analyze what he could possibly mean by this statement. As he continues on he states numerous other figures are â€Å"gas stations† such as Jesus Christ, and Jack Kerouac. Continuing on he states how gas stations are â€Å"lonesome and lovely† and sit on the â€Å"edge of a sandy skirt desert†. His descriptions of gas stations set the tone for the poem as morbid and sad  as the reader is visualizing a delegate area that people use then leave. Both Fries and Christ underwent great suffering throughout their lives which ultimately resulted in their deaths, which connects to the end of the stanza where Abee states, â€Å"As we move from seashore to graveyard. † Using the metaphor not only on himself but on other figures not only gives readers an image to connect his emotions to but it also shows readers that personally this is what he perceives life as, a journey where humans are used and abused , then die. His metaphor emphasizes his main idea for that poem while accentuating the tone that is apparent throughout the rest of the poem. Abee uses all these forms of figurative language to emphasize are ideas and highlight the tones that are seen in his various poems. They also all help connect back to the main themes which can be seen throughout the poem. In all each device helps give readers the image in which Abee intends from them to see, while showing readers how he personally feels. If I was to write a poem to you it would go something like this As I sit and reminisce, a wave of nostalgia overcomes me, leaving me choking and gasping for relief, as I drown in memories of forgotten promises faded secrets Next, id talk about how your laugh was like the church bells ringing on Sunday morning, clear and crisp in the sunny sky, particles of sound dancing with the rhythm of love If I were to write you a poem I would use words like gifted and good, the gentle gem in a mound of rocks, something like that. I would have pointless passages explaining the magnetic pull we felt between us, I would illuminate the page with the sparks we once shared, fireworks over a lake of washed out feelings, calmly disappearing into a an abyss of darkness If I was going to write you a poem it would have words It would have words describing our love, words only cupid knows, words of joy and happiness. Words to explain how you make me feel , words that would flow out of my mouth into my hand and onto paper like a stream flows into the ocean, twisting and turning then eventually colliding with the salty sea water, slowly integrating themselves till they are one. To be honest the poem I would write would have a dark side, a side of sadness and longing, unreasonably irrational and unhealthily attached. I would say things like I miss you and come back. I love you more than you could ever know; I need you more than the grass needs rain. Your love warms me and keeps me alive, your love completed me. The poem would say you can’t love another, you can only love me. I would say please come back, I would say Im sorry. I would say we were perfect together, we were soul mates. I would say no one else can hold you; no one else can touch you or call you theirs. The poem would say how could you? How could you love another, how could you be with another or kiss another. How could you leave me? The poem would be like that, angry. Yes angry, sad, mournful and dark, with flashes of light flickering in the darkness. The poem would be sealed in a bottle, and thrown into space, where it only company would be the sun, until eventually it would fade away, never to be read by my forgotten love.

Impact Of Mental Illness On Family

Impact Of Mental Illness On Family A mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people, the term mental disorder is also used to refer to these health problems. Mental health problems also interfere with how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, but to a lesser extent than mental illness. Mental health problems are more common and include the mental ill health that can be experienced temporarily as a reaction to the stresses of life. Mental health problems are less severe than mental illnesses, but may develop into a mental illness if they are not effectively dealt with. This study examines the impact mental illness has on family members. When people first knew about mental illness they thought it was demon possession, but today research has shown the effects that psychology has on treatment and recovery. This qualitative research was done in the area of La Brea, with questionnaires being randomly given out to 25 families. Before they answered the questionnaire they will be questioned on mental illness and given some information about the different types. After filling out the questionnaire they are going to have a choice to drop it into my mail box or personally hand it in. The results show that many people are affected by mental illness especially young adults which can have many effects on the family, like financial stress, emotional and feelings of guilt. Mental illness can affect any one at all ages, gender, cultures, educational and income levels. What is important is the support the individual and family gets, therefore by supporting the family members it becomes easier for them to care for the sick person. Mental health awareness should be done in communities to increase peoples understanding towards a greater mental health society so there can be less stigmatization. Introduction Background of the Problem Mental illness has its earliest history of the healing arts; there has been an evolution of theories regarding the root causes of mental illness. Early writings from such ancient civilizations as those of Greece, Rome, India, and Egypt focused on demonic possession as the cause; this concept eventually disappeared only to resurface again in the Middle Ages in Europe, along with inadequate treatment of the mentally ill. Demons or foul spirits were believed to attach themselves to individuals and make them depressed (poor-spirited) or mad. The word mad became an early synonym for psychosis. Unfortunately, the possessed included people with seizure disorders as well as others were suffering from what are now known to be medical disorders. Few genuinely helpful treatments were available to relieve the suffering of the mentally ill. By the eighteenth century they began to look at mental illness differently. It was during this time period that madness began to be seen as an illness beyond the control of the person rather than the act of a demon, and due to this, thousands of people were confined to dungeons of daily torture and were released to asylums where medical forms of treatment began to be investigated. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, several European neurologists began actively investigating the causes of mental illness. Chief among them, and destined to change forever the understanding of mental illness, was Sigmund Freud. Although psychology and psychiatry have advanced considerably since Freud, his explorations were revolutionary. Freud introduced the concepts of the unconscious and the ego to modern thought, and reintroduced the ancient art of dream interpretation, but from a psychological standpoint. Freud also regarded human psychological states as an energy system in which blockages in the flow of thought would result in disease or illness, expressed as mental or emotional loss of balance. He introduced the notion of a talking cure; through the use of talk therapy alone, and this showed many improvements to patients. Today, the medical model continues to be a driving force in the diagnosing and treatment of mental illness, although research has shown the powerful effects that psychology has on a persons recovery. Statement of the Problem What is the impact that mental health of individuals has on the lives of family members? Purpose of the Study The intent of this study is to understand how families cope with a member which suffers with mental illness. This study also seeks to explore how mental illness affects them and the person as they interact with other in society. Scope of the Study This study will assist me the student in my studies to gain an understanding and knowledge about mental illness. The result of this study will encourage people to know that mental illness is not a life sentence and that people who suffer from mental illness can recover where they can live normal lives. Definition of Terms Mental Illness- mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people, the term mental disorder is also used to refer to these health problems. Diminished to make smaller or less or to cause to appear so. Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or longer. Schizophrenia schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it hard to, tell the difference between what is real and not real, think clearly, have normal emotional responses and act normal in social situations. Bipolar Disorder bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between periods of a very good or irritable mood and depression. The mood swings between mania and depression can be very quick. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviours that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions). Panic Disorder panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which you have repeated attacks of intense fear that something bad will happen. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after youve seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviours. CBT is commonly used to treat a wide range of disorders, including phobias, addiction, depression and anxiety. Interpersonal Therapy Interpersonal therapy focuses on the interpersonal relationships of the depressed person. The idea of interpersonal therapy is that depression can be treated by improving the communication patterns and how people relate to others. Psychosis psychosis is a loss of contact with reality that usually includes: false beliefs about what is taking place or who one is (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that arent there (hallucinations). Stigmatization stigma is a perceived negative attribute that causes someone to devalue or think less of the whole person. People tend to distance themselves from individuals in stigmatized groups, to blame individuals in these groups for the perceived negative attributes, and to discriminate against and diminish the stigmatized individuals. LITERATURE REVEW What is the impact of mental health of individuals on the lives of family members? Mental illness has been an area under discussion and was bounded with mystery and fear, but at present, there have been remarkable improvement in our understanding and, especially in our ability to offer effective treatments. However, questions about mental illness often go unanswered and stand in the way of people receiving help. Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a persons thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Mental health refers to our cognitive, and/or emotional wellbeing it is all about how we think, feel and behave. Mental health, if somebody has it, can also mean an absence of a mental disorder. Approximately 25% of people in the UK have a mental health problem during their lives. The USA is said to have the highest incidence of people diagnosed with mental health problems in the developed world. Your mental health can affect your daily life, relationships and even your physical health. Mental health also includes a persons ability to enjoy life to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder; post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with mental illness recovery is possible. Mental illnesses affect people of any age, race, religion, or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan. Mental illness can be treated with the use of psychosocial treatment such as cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy, peer support groups and other community services can also be components of a treatment plan and that assist with recovery. It cannot be overcome through will power and are not related to a persons character or intelligence. Mental illness usually strike individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. All ages are susceptible, but the young and the old are especially vulnerable. Without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering: unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and wasted lives. It is very critical and of vital importance that mental illness is identified for effective recovery to be accelerated and the further harm related to the course of illness is minimized. The exact causes of mental disorders are unknown, but an explosive growth of research has brought us closer to the answers. We can say that certain inherited dispositions interact with triggering environmental factors. Poverty and stress are well-known to be bad for your health-this is true for mental health and physical health. In fact, the distinction between mental illness and physical illness can be misleading. Like physical illnesses, mental disorders can have a biological nature. Many physical illnesses can also have a strong emotional component. According to WHO (World Health Organization), mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. WHO stresses that mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. The NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health, USA) mental disorders are common in the USA and internationally. Approximately 57.7 million Americans suffer from a mental disorder in a given year that is approximately 26.2% of adults. However, the main burden of illness is concentrated in about 1 in 17 people (6%) who suffer from a serious mental illness. Approximately half of all people who suffer from a mental disorder probably suffer from another mental disorder at the same time, experts say. Scientists, psychiatrists, and other health care professionals know that the brain is made up in large part of essential fatty acids, water and other nutrients. The evidence is growing and becoming more compelling that diet can play a significant role in the care and treatment of people with mental health problems, including depression, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to name but a few. According to a Swedish study, half of the family members have had to give up their own recreational pursuits. The burdens of caring for a patient at home are considerable. They often affect the caring relatives social and leisure activities, and financial problems arise frequently. Relatives have difficulties in understanding and coming to terms with illness-related behaviour. Negative symptoms are often a particular problem. Despite their burden, relatives do not complain much, although they receive little support, advice or information from the professionals engaged in treating the patient; much is now known about the difficulties relatives face, but we still need to know how they can best be helped. Todays model of psychiatric care recognizes the importance of families as part of the treatment team. Enlightened interventions which help families struggling with child abuse and neglect, domestic and community violence, substance abuse, or school failure increasingly integrate psychiatric consultation into their programs. Any or all of these interventions may be used in tailoring a treatment plan for patients. Methodology Mental illness affects many individuals in society, some known and others unknown. People who is affected by mental illness needs the support from family members in the process of their recovery, therefore it is extremely important that they have this which will make a major difference to their well being. This study is a qualitative research and will be done with the use of questionnaires which will be given out to 25 families in the area of La Brea. They are going to be informed that a study is being done, in the highest of confidence and it is part of my course of study. The respondents will just have to fill out the questionnaire without their names or addresses, after it is filled out they can drop it into my mail box or they can personally hand it in. The results of these questionnaires are going to be organized by tallying each question to understand how many people said what, and it will be presented through the use of either charts, tables and graphs. This study on mental illness aims at investigating, How many people suffer from mental illness within their family? What did they do to assist? How they felt when their family member got sick? Were they hospitalized or they got private treatment? What support factors were there? Was there any stigmatization from anyone? This study is going to have some unavoidable limitations, which can be the time limit of eight weeks, this research is being conducted in one limited area and the group chosen may not represent the majority suffering from mental illness. Data Sample The participants for this research were selected based on their availability, their willingness to participate due to the understanding that this is just for research purposes and their knowledge that mental illness is a matter people work with everyday. A selection of 25 participants will take part in the study in the area of La Brea. In terms of ethnic background (20) 75% African and (5) 25%East Indian background, with about 20 female and 5 male ranging from the ages 15 to 65. The participants focused on in this study have had or have family members with mental health issues. Results Figure 1 Figure one shows that in the district of La Brea, 60% of the homes are of African descent, 20% are of East Indian, there is no Spanish, 12%are of Mixed Ethnicity and 8% are of another descent. Figure 2 Figure two shows that in La Brea, there are 40% of nuclear families, 40% of extended families and 20% of single parent families. Figure 3 Figure 3 shows that 80% said yes that their family suffered from mental illness are 80% and 20% said no. Figure 4 Mentally ill people are of different ages therefore; figure 4 shows that the highest age range is persons in the age group twenty years at 32% which indicates that younger people suffer from mental illness, then thirty five years at 28%, twenty five years at 16%, thirty eight years at 12%, and eighteen years at 4%. Figure 5 Figure 5 shows that more males than females suffer from mental illness as 60% of males and 40% of females has at some time in their life suffered from this sickness. Figure 6 Treatment can range be medication, counselling, change of diet or other which is a combination of two or all three. Medication was the highest being 60%, counselling and other had 20% each. Figure 7 Mental illness can have many effects on family members as 40% were stressed, 20% each became scared and confused while 12% were sad as too the fact that their family is suffering from this and 8% were helpless because they did not know how to deal with it. Discussion This study looked at the impact of mental illness of individuals on the lives of family members which can be described as a painful and sometimes traumatic experience. The majority of persons said that they had a family member who suffered from mental illness which became a bit difficult for them to go through, as some felt isolated while others needed help and support for themselves. Some family members also felt guilty and shame because they thought that they were to blame for the illness and not knowing how to handle this type of crisis. Referring to the literature todays model of psychiatric care recognizes the importance of families as part of the treatment process. Scientists and psychiatrists clames that diet can play a significant role in the care and treatment process. It also states that more males than females suffer from mental illness and people between the ages of 20-35 years are highly vulnerable to this illness. Therefore, this study indicates that mental illness is real, it is treatable by medication, therapy and other modalities, as psychiatrists help patients to understand their illness. My recommendations after doing this research on mental illness many people were not aware that there are different types and help is available. I would recommend that lectures, flyers and having activities where the community can interact with each other to increase awareness on mental illness. Conclusion Mental illness can have a devastating effect on an individual, his or her family, friends, and on the community in many ways. How it affects the individual is obvious, reduced ability to care for themselves, strong negative emotions, distorted thoughts, inappropriate behaviour, and reduced ability to maintain a relationship are only a few possible outcomes. On friends and family, it can be a major responsibility to care for someone suffering from a mental illness, the emotional and behavioural components of some illnesses can be very difficult at times to understand and to deal with. Mental illness also affects the community due to the high incidence of homelessness and unemployment in some serious disorders such as schizophrenia. We as a society are starting to see that depression doesnt mean weakness, that anxiety doesnt mean fear, and that schizophrenia doesnt mean violence. We finally understand that needing help for mental or emotional reasons does not represent a character flaw. Weve got a long way to go, but compared to the time when this was seen as demonic possession, and even compared to a few years ago, weve already come a great distance. References Anoka Co. 5k Walk for Mental Wellness is Saturday | kare11.com. (n.d.). Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN | News, Weather and Sports | kare11.com . 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