WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THIS PROJECT?
Mental illnesses can impose immense challenges a person’s welfare and their overall relationship dynamics. My firsthand experience in caring for a formally-diagnosed family member has ultimately shifted my perspective on the facets of human behavior. How we choose to approach mental health treatment is largely a product of our understanding -- or a lack thereof -- of the intersection between our environment and the biological mechanisms at play. Nevertheless, there's lots of uncertainty that lingers when we attempt to dissect how mental illness influences behavior. There have been moments where I've felt at a loss of words - a loss of words to defend or justify why certain people do the things they do. When we fail to comprehend a person's circumstances, this lack of context is what drives people to marginalize groups who suffer from mental illness. The term “mental illness” is so heavily associated with a negative connotation in society, and oftentimes, those who struggle with psychiatric disorders are dehumanized and criminalized for actions which they cannot psychologically control. There's lots of science to prove so. Mental illnesses – depression, anxiety, paranoia, and schizophrenia to name a few – hold the capacity to alter human behaviors at an unconscious level. People who suffer with a mental condition can't always control their actions or impulses, regardless of how much “will power” they can exercise. We as a society should strive to create systems of support instead of penalizing these people. The mentally ill are not “socially sick.” They should not have to conform to the societal perception of what is “normal,” nor should they have to apologize for who they are.
WHAT IS THE ESSENTIAL PROBLEM AT HAND?
Casting judgment, in its purest form, is part of our human nature. When we can't comprehend why a person acts the way that they do, we shouldn't be quick to assume what these people's circumstances are. When we act with prejudicial attitudes and discriminate against individuals because of their mental conditions, we alienate those individuals because of the psychiatric labels that are placed onto them. When people formulate this perception that the mentally ill are physically and emotionally “dysfunctional,” the mentally ill themselves are relegated to an inferior role within society. Those with behavioral problems fear to live out their true and authentic identities. So much value is placed on the notion that our behaviors and actions should be tailored to a certain standard. This hinders the progression of our lives on an individual as well as a wholesome level.
WHAT IS YOUR SHORT-TERM GOAL?
PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY. I hope to cultivate mental health awareness by ultimately normalizing discourse on mental illness - by bringing to discussion the biopsychosocial factors that impact our lives. The more the public is informed, the less of a "taboo" status mental illness will hold. If I can help people to better understand how mental illnesses arise and how they affect human behavior, I can stimulate more dialogue on how to foster greater inclusion for people within this demographic. I simply hope to act as one of the many bridges between those who suffer from mental illnesses and those who do not.
WHAT IS YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL?
I ultimately want others within the community (and hopefully on a more global scale) to exemplify a greater level of compassion towards those who suffer from behavioral health issues. Let's stop passing out condescending looks to strangers whom we don't know. Let's manufacture greater webs of external support systems. While normalization of inclusion and mental health discussion is essential, I want others to internalize that we should not force those with behavioral conflicts to conform to society. I want us to accept others for their differences and needs - whether it be those who manifest intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) or those who struggle with the weights of major depressive disorder. I want us as a global community to understand that nobody should have to apologize for the adversities they struggle to overcome. I want to encourage stronger social contact and interaction between individuals of all different types of backgrounds.