Reconsidering Mental Illness Justin Leach ENG 201 Kellie Sharp 4/11/14

Purpose:  Analyze the possible correlation between mental/emotional trauma (abuse, divorce, sexual assault) and the development of mental illness.  Explore Multiple Personality Disorder  Argue mental illness as a healing method rather than a sickness.

Argument:  Mental illness is not a sickness, but rather a state of mind that can be shelter for a person who needs to heal mental or emotional wounds.  Mental illness can protect victims of emotional or mental trauma from painful experiences from earlier in life.  Multiple personality disorder (MPD) replaces harmed personalities with new ones allowing the person to live more happily.

What do the sources say?  Sources range from academic articles, to interviews with people with mental illness and MPD, to medical journals.  Most of them, if not all seem to agree with the claim that abuse and trauma are related to mental illness in some way.  In some cases it is the focus of the entire article while in others it is just listed or mentioned.  The main source and inspiration for the project is The Myth of Mental Illness by Thomas Szasz

Multiple Personality Disorder  This mental illness causes patients to experience sudden shifts in personality.  Unlike bipolar disorder this mental illness causes completely new characters to take over the body of the person.  Bipolar disorder just causes shifts in mood.  People with MPD can live completely normal lives, even be the acting guardian to children.  Often found in victims of child abuse or sexual assault.

The Myth of Mental Illness  It is a book published in 1961 by Thomas Szasz  Challenged the fact that mental illness was considered and illness for those “disabled by living”  Szasz states that people can no longer have troubles; doctors diagnose these troubles as mental illness.  Argues that mental illness is not a sickness or a disease but rather a difficulty fitting in with social norms.

Kim Noble  An interesting case of MPD  Has more than 100 separate personalities  Dominant personality changes throughout different stages of her life.  Cares for her young daughter.  Grew up in a broken home, had divorced parents, was abused as a child.  Her MPD has caused her to forget her troubled past and allows her to live a happy life.  Her illness has been more of a help to her than a hindrance.  Has written a book about her life with MPD called All of Me

Media Evidence  Norman Bates from the novel and film Psycho as well as the recent television show Bates Motel is believed by many to suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder.  Norman was emotionally abused and repressed by his mother Norma as a child into early adulthood.  After murdering his mother he begins to channel her oppressive personality which causes him to commit murder numerous times throughout the story line.  This is evidence that it is an accepted my many that abuse may lead to MPD.

What makes this argument unique?  Many people disagree with the idea of mental illness being anything other than what it says it is.  The general population believes that it is a negative thing and cannot be thought of in a positive way.  Combining the argument that mental illness is not an illness and the argument that it can be a sort of healing method helps to support each argument and causes it to be a whole new argument all together.

What am I trying to prove?  In order to validate this argument evidence must be given that supports: 1.Mental illness can be thought of as something other than a sickness 2.Mental illness can be used as a healing method 3.There is a correlation between mental illness and mental/emotional trauma.

Citations  “The Myth of Mental Illness.” Szatz, Thomas. Moral conflict and psychiatry, Yale Rev., 1959  “Kim Noble: The Woman with 100 Personalities.” Michison, Amanda. The Guardian, Friday 30 September 2011The Guardian  “Norman Bates Bio.” man_Bates.html man_Bates.html