Psychiatric Rehabilitation:stigma And Discrimination Limit (Essay Sample)

Psychiatric Rehabilitation
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Psychiatric Rehabilitation
How stigma and discrimination limit the rehabilitation potential of a person
Psychiatric Rehabilitation can also be referred to as psychosocial rehabilitation. It entails the process of restoring community well-being and functioning of people with mental or emotional disorders (Blustein, 2008). An individual with such disorders is said to be psychiatric disabled. These rehabilitation centers are set up by special governmental programs set aside to care for people with disabilities. People with mental disabilities require special treatment, attention and qualified personnel to handle them. The importance of taking them in rehabilitation centers is to equip them with skills and ability to cope with emotional and environmental changes (Davidson et al, 2006). They can cause disappointments when left by their own. Rehabilitation work is done by psychiatric counselors, psychologists and licensed professional counselors.
The rehabilitation services given are psychiatric and these include relaxation, in-home assistance, meditation and support groups. Individuals are put into groups according to their mental abilities and are challenged to perform particular tasks. In addition, health and medical services are also given (Blustein, 2008). Consistent care and mental counseling is given to the people according to their level. This enables them develop positive attitudes towards life as they recover from their mental illnesses. There is also provision of general life knowledge where life skills are taught. Before joining the rehabilitation center, an individual may be cruel but the duty of the counselors is to teach them on how to relate with one another. This enhances interaction and good social relationship between the individuals themselves and they later transfer them to the rest of the people until they recover.
Additionally, the training offered in rehabilitation centers does not only include mental processes but also basic living skills. Due to the effect of mental illness, an individual may not be able to perform simple tasks like washing, feeding and general cleanliness (Davidson et al, 2006). The trainers have the duty to ensure that people with disabilities are given special training on how to carry out chores. This is achieved by assigning simple chores to be done in duties. Group work enables copying and nurturing another person’s ability to do something. The most affected people learn from their colleagues and with time, they resume to their normal ways of doing chores with ease. The program of rehabilitation is very wide and those who recover are finally subjected to vocational training to give them knowledge and skills which can help them penetrate the job market (Link et al, 2001). Craftsmanship is taught with a series of practical to equip them with necessary survival tactics. By the time an individual leaves the rehabilitation, he or she becomes productive to the society.
Mentally disabled people require a lot of caution and care. Since their minds do not perceive appropriately to ideas, people around them need to understand this and deal with them decently (Velligan et al, 2006). Mental counselors have the duty to understand their patient and give them the right treatment. In opposition to this, the period spent in the rehabilitation center will be useless if they do not benefit or acquire less or totally nothing from the teachings and training session. Such patients tend to feel inferior complex; therefore people around them should always be set and aware to provide a positive and conducive environment. If subjected to stress, they can lose hope in life and end up messing with other people’s lives (Blustein, 2008). Socialization is vital in helping mentally disabled people recover. Unfortunately, when they are exposed to stigma and discrimination, they can develop a negative attitude towards life, the people around them or life situations. The following is a clear description of effects of stigma and discrimination towards achieving rehabilitation potential.
Stigma is a situation in which a person views the next person in a negative way just because they have a distinguishing characteristic. Stigma may lead to discrimination among people with mental disabilities. Firstly, stigma can lead to reluctance in seeking appropriate help and treatment (Drake et al, 2001). This can be as a result of stigma by either the counselors or patients. If an individual has a different behavior that may not be portrayed by any other person, he or she may be feeling discriminated. To avoid this, there is need to advise the affected persons effectively to protect them from the feeling of being neglected. Failure to this, an individual may choose to stay with his problems and fail to seek health or treatment. This is very dangerous as it can worsen the situation leading to stress or even mental torture. With this type of problem, it can be very difficult for people with mental disabilities to recover. Treatment and guidance is very important since one realizes his or her point of weakness and chooses to rectify.
Furthermore, a person subjected to stigma talks less and may not be able to share their problems. Consequently this leads to lack of understanding by colleagues and counselors. A counselor has to converse and talk with a client before advising him or her (Jacobson et al, 2000). Now in this particular situation, the counselor may not understand people if they fail to speak out their problems and feelings. Therefore counselors may not be able to attain their objectives in their work since the patients are not willing to share their problems with them. Consequently, this hinders the treatment and assistance that need to be accorded to the patients. Also, to focus on the side of occupants in the rehabilitation center, the counselors may feel or consider those individuals who fail to share ideas and feelings to have an ego (Rüsch et al, 2005). Therefore, it becomes hard in approaching and probing them more about their personal issues that may have contributed to the condition (stigma)
Importantly, participation in events, talks and occasions is very important. Stigma and discrimination can lead to lack of exposure therefore, loss of opportunities that may be important in life (Drake et al, 2001). For instance, if one feels neglected he or she will not take part in activities like games, vocational training and religious matters. Such activities are very important towards realizing of one’s potential and strength. Through the entire process or recovering, most people identify and realize that they got talents in different fields. This is enhanced by the spirit of loving something and getting involved. Realization of potential may impart one with knowledge and skills that may later be applied in life to produce something productive. Consequently, failure to participate may hinder the opportunities of identifying strongholds in one’s life.
In addition, stigma and discrimination can lead to physical harassment, violence or bullying. Bullying occurs in a situation where a person is neglected and despised by the rest. Individuals despising someone may be extreme in such a way that they engage in physical violence (Jacobson et al, 2000). This is caused by revenge or hatred among people due to something that may have happened earlier. Continuous bullying leads to fear, stress and a feeling of self-denial. Therefore the bullied person feels that all humans are violent and may opt to live a private and lonely life leading to stress and discomfort. On the other side, the discriminated person may decide to hate and have enmity towards their colleagues and even counselors. Whenever somebody crosses their way, they may feel that it is a way of disrespect. This entails the development of a defense mechanism that leads to violence, quarrels and harassment (Link et al, 2001). By doing this, the rest of the people may isolate such and individuals to avoid getting hurt.
Failure to participate in activities hinders one from acquiring knowledge and skills. Furthermore there is slow development of the cognitive mind hence slow recovery. Hence, one may feel that he or she was not born to make it in life. They lose hope in life and religious life. Actually life seems meaningless and of no importance (Blustein, 2008). There arises development of a negative attitude towards life due to a negative belief that one will never succeed in life. This is a false statement but it becomes difficult to derive it from the minds of mentally challenged people once they have incorporated it. Since no achievement is made in the entire period in the rehabilitation center, no effort is made to move further and a person may remain on the same stage over a long period of time while the others are advancing in life (Wahl, 1999).
Stigma may have a lot of impacts to the life of person with mental disabilities. Continued discrimination can lead self-conflict, hatred and loneliness (Corrigan, 2004). One may develop a practice of self-stigmatization. This is caused by lack of trust towards people and the desire to live a private life where one does not need to consult fellow colleagues. If this happens in a rehabilitation center, guidance and counseling has to be done to retrieve the lives of affected people and bring them to the normal life situation and socialization. If this is not done, the affected patient may decide to develop methods to survive alone. Due to the fact that they are lonely, they lack a social life which is important in their development of their personality, productivity and acquisition of knowledge; hence, they may end up indulging into drug abuse (Drake et al, 2001).
Moreover, subjection to stigma and discrimination may impart fear of speaking a...