Schizophrenia and Mental Disorder

      Schizo. Coo-coo. Wacko. Nutso. Freak. All terms for people with mental disorders. Mental disorders are stigmatized in the United States although over 20% of Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK. More likely than not, you will be affected by someone that suffers from a mental illness, whether it be Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anorexia etc. Society portrays those with mental disorders as violent, unintelligent, and subhuman. How dare you call someone "subhuman." While not everyone is intelligent (mentally ill people included), not everyone that suffers from a mental illness is stupid. John Nash, an extremely gifted (and Nobel Prize-winning)  mathematician, whose story that was portrayed in the movie A Beautiful Mind, was schizophrenic.
     The mental disorder that has affected me personally is Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chemical imbalance of dopamine in the brain that causes characteristic auditory hallucinations that are often paranoid in nature. 1 in 100 people have Schizophrenia. Unfortunately, not much research is put into the disease, even though it is common. Schizophrenia (along with Suicide Ideation) is one of the most stigmatized diseases in the United States. While I do believe that diseases such as heart disease and cancer deserve the attention and awareness they receive, I feel like the vast majority of the population believes that they are the ONLY diseases that can be spoken about in public. Research in Schizophrenia should be just as common as other diseases. Schizophrenia just  is a chemical imbalance, just like diabetes.
     I seriously don't see why mental disorders are stigmatized. I hate it when someone says a person "took their own life." It makes the deceased look like they are selfish for what they did, instead of having compassion for a person who was so down that they didn't believe that there was a way out. Its considered good publicity for a celebrity to attend a Heart Disease charity event, but what about a Bipolar Disorder one? More likely than not, no one will seem to care, and if they do, it will be bad publicity. I respect Catherine Zeta-Jones for deciding to open up to suffering from Bipolar II Disorder. Numerous artists have opened up to having mental disorders of their own. But that's not enough. EVERYONE needs to know that mental disorders don't make you less than an average person. If everyone knew this, then more people would be asking for help. The stigma of mental disorder stops many people from acknowledging that they indeed are mentally ill and need help.
     I want to do something. I want to spread the word about mental illnesses, especially Schizophrenia. I want to see a world where people aren't judged for having a mental illness. Where people can realize that mental disorders are just as bad as physical ones, and deserve the same attention. That people with mental disorders are people too. They have wants, needs, responsibilities and most of all, deserve respect.

If you want some more information:
1. Schizophrenia- A Personal Story
2. Schizophrenia-Ashley's Story
3. Mental Illness Stigma
4. National Alliance on Mental Illness