Ani Gollapalli (MS3)
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Post by Ani Gollapalli (MS3) on Aug 18, 2016 16:41:52 GMT -4
The article highlights the poorly informed attitude that we, as a society, have towards mental health issues. As mentioned in the article, it’s to a point where the bias is implicit and most individuals don’t even realize that they are biased. Questioning an individual’s mental health in the middle of an argument is surprisingly acceptable and widely seen as a throwaway statement. Another interesting aspect of the article is that it also highlights the expectations we have from our political leaders. If the past Presidential candidates’ health reports are to be trusted, our politicians seem to be Gods among men. There’s a stigma about Presidents admitting to their health issues, whether it is FDR trying to keep his polio under wraps before ultimately having to admit being sick or JFK secretly over-medicating himself for Addison’s disease. The stigma increases immensely when the discussion involves mental health. I believe that this sort of attitude can prevent individuals who are sick from seeking help and be very detrimental to large groups in our society. Furthermore, as proven by the study in the article, there is no correlation between mental health issues and job performance of the President. Regardless of one’s disagreement with another individual, I believe the time has come to strongly encourage people to stop questioning others’ mental health in such a flippant manner.
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Post by Camy Dearmin (MS4) on Aug 18, 2016 19:08:51 GMT -4
This article brings so many thoughts to my mind. For example, how many times I've heard people jest about whether a person can want to be President of the United States, and simultaneously be sane; whether FDR could ever have been elected today from the seat of his wheelchair (a well-kept secret of the FDR presidency); whether JFK did or didn't use LSD as a means of escapism from his symptoms due to Addison's disease; etc, etc, etc…
That said, I can't help but sense that one of the underlying issues reflected in an article such as this--in the so-called 'Heroic Ideal'--isn't America's issues with the possibility (rather, reality) of our leaders being fully human and at times in need of care, in whatever form it might take; but with America’s unwillingness to actually acknowledge it— lest it jeopardize our sense of security, or (heaven forbid) reflect poorly on the nation, and ultimately on our collective perception of self.
Sadly, but somewhat understandably, I suspect the stigmas specific to psychiatric care will linger in varying degrees, until the enigma that is the human brain is even more fully understood. The outright insensitivity toward those who may suffer from such illnesses, however, is untenable.
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Post by Aaron Boren MS4 on Aug 18, 2016 19:42:01 GMT -4
I'm not surprised that mental illness is being brought into this election, given the nature of how this election has gone. It is however, unfortunate that mental illness still has the stigma that it does. There has been a lot of progress the last 20 years in terms of education and awareness but I think this article highlights the need for continued advancement. Will the candidates look back in 20 years and say as Bill Nelson did that "knowing what they know now" they would never say those things about anyone?
I think it is true,as stated in earlier responses that the position of President of the United States requires someone that can handle an immense amount of stress. And the American people understand this. That is not to say that someone with a "mental illness" would not be able to perform the duties of President, as "shown" in the retrospective review of past presidents. but it does require someone who is more or less stable. With that being said, I don't think the candidates actually believe the other has a mental illness. There are trying to score politcal points. Something I think is irresponible and damning to those with mental illness. We are heading in the right direction but still have a long way to go.
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Post by Jackson Nguyen MS4 on Aug 18, 2016 21:22:55 GMT -4
This is a great article that not only talks about how important a president's mental health is, but also pushes the stigma of mental illnesses to be eliminated. A lot of the presidents named, such as Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, and Teddy Roosevelt, were some of the people that had the greatest impact on American History, and were thought to have undiagnosed mental illnesses. They definitely did not have the medical miracles that we have nowadays, so the president's mental health, and in fact anyone in a leadership position's mental health, should definitely be well taken care of. A leadership position comes with a lot of stress and emotions, so if we have better medicine now then we did over a hundred years ago when Abraham Lincoln was president, there is no reason why the president should not be taken care of mentally, just like how his physical health is so well taken care of. Just because mental illnesses sometimes don't have physical, tangible signs such as a broken arm or cellulitis, it does not mean it should not be well taken care of.
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deekshita damidi-ms3
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Post by deekshita damidi-ms3 on Aug 19, 2016 9:06:18 GMT -4
This article showcases the biased views on mental illnesses that are still affecting so many aspects of the world today. The fact that many associate people with a mental illness as subordinate to others is unacceptable. Mental illness should be viewed as any other physical health problem and should not be something to feel ashamed about instead it should be seen as the person’s strength in how he or she copes with it, overcomes it. It should be the main point people should take away from their story. Having these issues should not be a reason for people to get any disadvantages in pursuing their goals. Its unfortunate not everyone shares the same perspectives but we should encourage and educate others to not define people based on just an illness they might have.
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Post by Neda Ebrahimi on Aug 19, 2016 19:27:09 GMT -4
Unfortunately our society typically looks at mental illness as a weakness. When it comes to electing a president, we are looking for someone who represents the United States and its mighty power. A candidate with any mental illness is often viewed as unfit to hold the office regardless of his/her specific condition. It is great that some member of congress have stepped forward and shared their condition with the general public. I am glad to see that quite a few were able to hold office and be re-elected. The US Presidency is probably the most stressful job in the world, however, no US president has yet to confess having any mental illness while in the office or after retirement. It may be a great public education if they too started sharing their mental health conditions just like the members of congress. If not during their presidency, then perhaps after they leave the office.
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Post by Bimel Thomas (MS3) on Aug 20, 2016 20:43:40 GMT -4
I've always thought you've got to be at least a little bit crazy to run for president of the U.S.; the 2 current candidates may be taking that idea to new heights. Mental disease and the presidency are 2 things not typically associated together. Like the article states, many citizens, myself included, have "heroic expectations" for their leader even if they don't outwardly express it.The fact that the 2006 study referenced here shows that nearly half of the studied former Presidents likely had mental illness is a bit of an eye opener, yet an idea that makes sense. It points to the fact that psychiatric illnesses have a long history of being un- and underdiagnosed, as well the idea that it's shameful to have a mental sickness if it does end up being diagnosed. This is primarily why many people have difficulty seeking help when they start exhibiting symptoms; in a high-profile and high-stress job such as the presidency, this is significantly amplified. While a great deal of work still needs to be done to remove the unfortunate notion that mental disease is disgraceful, this article proves hopeful with the suggestion that some of the greatest and most influential leaders struggled with psychiatric conditions but were able to overcome them and excel in their duty to their country.
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Post by Edogun I (MS3) on Aug 21, 2016 23:51:17 GMT -4
Mental illnesses should not be seen as different from medical illnesses. They simply involve a different part of our body. The same way we can often have issues with other organs and body part, the brain can also be effected as well . The perpetuation of mental health stigma by the media is harmful to people who suffer from mental health symptoms. The use of stigma reduces the political will and public empathy to address our broken mental health care system in the United States. When mental health patients are labeled as “crazy” , society in general tend to not care as much .
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Post by Katarzyna Goryl on Aug 25, 2016 10:37:34 GMT -4
Does it really matter if the president is depressed upset or anxious. Its his personal life which I believe the public should not interfere with. The only time CONGRESS and not the people should interfere with a Presidents Mental health is when He/She can no longer perform there duties in office accurately. There are thousands of higher uppers with depression, anxiety, even bipolar disorders running fortune 500 companies. The only difference is that this person doesn't get the front page of the newspaper. There have been may worldwide leaders with mental instabilities who ran their countries well til there end. Even the latest pope was diagnosed with Parkinson's and Dementia but lead his faith to the best of his control til his end. The American people are too engulfed and obsessed with gossip that their views on society change with others opinions. Depression is just Depression its not mania or schizophrenia. Tons of people are depressed worldwide so destroying a persons view to a mental disorder is just not accurate. The presidents personal life should be out of the media at all times. The only time it would be problematic is if he or she cannot perform their obligated duties. KGMS3
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Post by veronique on Aug 25, 2016 14:48:23 GMT -4
I chuckled at the diagnosis Narcissistic Personality disorder as it pertains to presidential candidate Donald Trump. A high pressure high stressed environment can make even the most psychologically sound person buckle, and become more susceptible. The public has certain expectation of public figures, people in power and even higher expectations for the individual who may be running their country with expectations that he/she is emotionally,physically and mentally stable. Attitudes towards mental illness has changed but generally still seen as a character flaw rather than an illness like Lupus,hypertension or hyperlipidemia.
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Post by Barbara Goryl on Aug 25, 2016 19:56:16 GMT -4
The presidential candidacy is a very high pressured stressful job. Clearly whom ever is running for president knows that they can handle such stressors otherwise they would not run. It is possible to run a country ,even town, with a mental illness such as depression or PTSD. It has been done before and very good at that. I think the public has a problem with it because they are not educated on these mental illnesses.
Even though Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both have a mental disability, according to many sources, they seem competent enough to face each other and fight for the candidacy. At the end of the day you can see how this article and many others out there create a negative stigma so that votes are swayed one way or the other. There is a negative stigma attached to mental health when there should not be one.
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Post by komolafe on Aug 26, 2016 18:46:04 GMT -4
I have noticed that mental illness in most society is painted in a negative light. We don’t often see it like we do other medical illness. We forget that just like other illness, the etiology of mental illness can be genetic, environmental and/or behavioral. Mental health is very critical aspect of everyday life, and just like any other aspect of human health, it can be fragile when subjected to a number of offensive pressures, like just the way obesity is for type 2 Diabetes or genetic predisposition is for depression. It is not surprising to me that most of our public political figures feel the need to depict a perfect picture of pristine mental health. After all they carry the responsibility of leadership that quite frankly requires high functioning individual with little to no weakness. In my opinion politicians need to show that they don’t all have it together sometimes, and likewise the public needs to see it as a norm, rather than a catastrophe.
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Post by poojak on Aug 27, 2016 12:09:01 GMT -4
Psychiatric terms and illness are often loosely in regular conversations. To publicly categorize a potential candidate can be very threatening to their campaign and also how people think about them. It is important that people start to realize that such terms can have a very negative impact in someones life. Being a president of United States can be a very demanding job, and it is easy to understand why so many of them suffer from mental illness. In case these people actually do suffer from an illness, I think it is very important to share that information with people because they should know about the state of mind of the leader that they might vote for.
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Anirudh Lingamaneni
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Post by Anirudh Lingamaneni on Aug 31, 2016 0:27:49 GMT -4
The presidency is arguably one of the most stressful jobs on the planet. So it goes to say that some mental health issues are bound to arise. While people perceive the president to be stronger than the normal person, its not true. They go through the same motions of life and are just as prone if not more to mental and physical illnesses. I think as people in govt start to openly talk about mental illness, the more the public image will start to change and they will be more accepting. But like all medical related issues I believe its up to the individual discretion on if they want to share it with the world or not. Also I believe that mental health issues really shouldn't be a issues in politics unless something occurs to show that they cant continue there daily responsibilities.
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Post by Meika Shah on Aug 31, 2016 10:49:28 GMT -4
Mental health, similar to any other kind of health, is just that, it is health. Politicians as ones always in the limelight, are subject to criticism regarding their mental stability, but the media ignores all other aspects of health. For example, politicians are never criticized for having Diabetes or Hypertension or CHF, yet sleep apnea, depression, and bipolar all become problematic. Its appalling that mental health is used as slander schemes and jokes to knock the other party, disgusting even, to call someone "unstable" or one with "Narcissistic Personality Disorder." People that are not politicians have real world mental disorders and not ones that are facetiously diagnosed to make fun. As medical students, we learn that there are so many disorders from physical to mental, and treatments for most in order to help patients live healthy and long lives, but it should go unsaid that mental or physical disorders do not and should not limit a person's ability to run for office.
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