Trapped inside a World of shortage

 Not being heard is the worst feeling one can get, especially if that individual has some sort of mental illness. Not being taken seriously or even just left alone, nowhere to go and no one to turn too. People with mental illnesses are left in society because they are not “sane”, they are left and trap inside a world of poverty.

 Mental illnesses vary from different types, it can affect anyone at any time. It’s been said that nearly one in five  Canadian adults will personally experience a mental illness during a 1-year period (“Mental Illness”, 2002).  Anyone of different race can experience a mental illness; it’s not as if one group of beings only get mental illnesses. People living with mental illnesses are severely affected by social and economic inequality. Through no fault of their own they face extended and often lifetime unemployment, social exclusion, isolation, relationship distress, poor physical health and lack of hope for the future (Alexander, 2009). This is all because they do not fit society’s norms of functioning “normally”, thus they are ignored and shunned. I think people should put themselves in these individuals’ shoes, see how one would feel if they couldn’t be taken seriously or given the time or day, it would suck... Right?

 In Canada according to the 2006 census there are an estimated 4,635,185 individuals with disabilities. According to the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey 2006, 15% of those individuals had a psychological disability. Of that 15%, 70.8% were unemployed. The median income for a person with disability is $19,199, almost 30% less than someone without a disability with a median income of $27,496 (Alexander, 2009). Because of their mental illness they lose on the opportunity of an education which then puts them under the unemployment rate. Persons with mental illness face several barriers which prevent opportunities for economic advancement. They often encounter difficulty securing adequate education and employment, and face undue discrimination (Alexander, 2009). We live in a country with many resources and opportunities, so why don’t we take full advantage of those and put them to use!

 Dr. Alexander (2009) stated we must work together, all levels of government and all citizens of Canada, to eradicate social injustice caused by stigma and discrimination and support those living in disadvantage to achieve quality of life. In Canada, this has been identified as a longstanding obligation. The federal government has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by ensuring that income policy measures that improve equity begin without delay. I agree with Dr. Alexander (2009), we should ALL work together, disregard the differences and help our citizens from falling through the cracks and onto a world of poverty. We can achieve this by working together.

 These individuals are trapped inside their minds, we shouldn’t ignore them. There should be more of an effort to help them; more resources, affordable houses and medications. It’s not their fault they have a mental illness and we shouldn’t see it to that. I believe if we make in effort of teaching others how to deal with these individuals, such as what areas to help them in and what should be done to do so. If we can achieve this then I believe we can see better results in the situation.

- Hannah

References:

Alexander, T. (2009, April 2). Poverty Reduction: A Necessary Component of the Federal Government’s Mental Health Strategy for Canadians. Retrieved from http://www.cmha.ca/data/1/rec_docs/2233_CMHA%20Poverty_Reduction%20-%20HUMA.pdf.

A Report on Mental Illnesses in Canada. (2002). Public Health Agency of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/chap_1-eng.php.