Week 8_Van Nguyen_A04

The differences in culture, and how mental illness is perceived in the two places.

For certain culture, what the West view as mental illness, in other culture, for example for Dagara people regard as “good news from the other world” according to Dr. Some, in Marohn’s article. As a science person myself (I believe more in statistics, actual numbers show that statistically there is a different, thus) I don’t believe whether the way the West treat mentally ill patient is wrong, or the way of the Dagara people think of those as holly spirited, exceptional individuals than the ordinary people is right, because depends on the culture, the perceptions are different. There must be reasons to why mentally ill patients were treated as they are and why the very same illness individuals are highly regarded among the Dagara people. The case of Alex is very interesting and an extraordinary example, however, this does not represent the whole picture that all the mentally ill patient will be like Alex, go to Africa and be more normal. This article gears towards criticizing the perception of the West against mental illness, they treat it as a cursed, a society problem, and compared to Dagara, where the very same individuals are respected, acting as the bridge with god.

This appeals to me the idea of the influences of the environment have on individuals, how mentally ill patients should be treated differently, not whether one culture is right or wrong in the method. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the difference, realize and understands the cultures, and adapt to the better method one culture may have. Human is animal of adaptation, it is normal to hold on to home culture that working for us, but also study, catch up, and accept on some segments of other cultures that advantages us as well.

Marohn, Stephanie. “What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital.” The Mind Unleashed, 25 Aug. 2014, themindunleashed.org/2014/08/shaman-sees-mental-hospit.