Mental Illness In Different Cultures

[bored-a-line]

i got this theory that some cultures operate by raising people to be what would be considered mentally ill by western standards.

see i think im nuts by western standards: deluded, in a dream world, repressed, untrusting, unreasonably angry, taking a back seat to my own life. but by asian standards these things are normal..indian culture thrives on anxiety and repression, sacrificing yourself for others, mob mentality etc etc. sometimes i think all indian women have an avoidant personality disorder. whats nuts in one culture is a vital quality in another.

also, is it possible that trying to combine two opposite sets of cultural rules can drive a person mad?

can identity crises cause a personality disorder?

i hate being stuck in the middle. i hate the pressure of fulfilling roles in both cultures..because i cant. i cant be the loyal apple of the family's eye and at the same time be the independant seeker that western culture expects me to be. noone GETS me. i hate that. indian people look at me like a freak and english people think im a freak. i hate it. i wish id been raised in a small village and didnt know anything else. i hate being so cosmopolitian that no one knows how to relate to me.

yes . hmph.

sorry..as you were

[LadyMacbeth]

In the asian culture woman have higher expectations placed on them by the patrarchial society they live in. I am not including every Asian country however asian woman who were born and in Asia are more likely to remain submissive as a result of the expectations placed upon them.

Living in New York I know of many people who are from multi-cultured backgrounds and feel the same way as you do. One of my close friends is half Caucasian and African-American. I remember her telling me she did feel as if she fit in either group growing up. I actually believe she has come to terms with it now. Personally I think growing up in a multi-cultured household would be great. Just because you have the freedom to express your uniqueness and combining your cultural differences.

I am British but I now live in USA. I am still a British citizen and refuse to give up my citizenship because I do not want to lose my identity. Although I pretty much speak with an American accent and have become "Americanized" due to my environment. When I am in America I feel British and when I am in England I feel more American. I am completely confused. I went to Spain a few years ago and I remember this German would not speak to me because I was American or he thought I was because I lived there. He would not associate with any of the Americans and later I found out it was because he hated them. I realized that not many other countries do. I can understand why but my defenses do go up because not all Americans fit that typical stereotypical American. I go through an identity crisis at times. But, I know I am British and will always be British and when I have children (if I ever do) they will be raised to know their British roots.

Mental disorders run across the spectrum. I actually believe you will find a larger population of people in Western Europe, Australia, and Canada who suffer from mental illnesses because of our steady economies, health care, the government etc...We have the ability to treat these disorders because most of us can afford to go to the doctor and take medications because our health care systems enable us to do so.

You travel to India, parts of China, Brazil, Africa of course you are not going to find a large number of people who have been diagnosed with mental disorders because unfortunately they don not have the means to treat mental illness. Also these countries have a higher risk of disease and starvation so proper nutrition and medical care is the top concern.

You do raise an interesting debate though. It would actually be interesting to reasearch mental illnesses in Asia and Africa.

[lille_eskimit]

You travel to India, parts of China, Brazil, Africa of course you are not going to find a large number of people who have been diagnosed with  mental disorders because unfortunately they don not have the means to treat mental illness. Also these countries have a higher risk of disease and starvation so proper nutrition and medical care is the top concern.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think a lot of it also has to do with a culture that doesn't want to recognise mental illnesses, regardless of whether or not treatment is available...It is seen as a weakness, and families will try to hide in to avoid shame and 'loss of face'...People with mental illnesses will have to deal with their friends and familes either constantly in denial (which means they will not reach out for medical help even if it is offered), or ridicule...