This poem really stuck with me because it definitely changed my view on the mental illness support system; seeing the inside of what the patients suffer through. We often view life through what society shows us and we do not question; this website is an eye opener to me because I could only imagine the pain each patient goes through. The Anti-psychiatry coalition certainly challenged my view on mental health because I always assumed that the answer to all their problems was spending time in the psychiatric ward to "heal". The poem "To be a mental patient" has a clear description of the world 's view versus the reality of it all. "To be a mental patient is to be a statistic" (Unzicker, 1984). This quote is heart-rending as a reader because personally have family members suffering with mental illness and thought when they were in the hospital, they were recovering well. Also, this website changes my perspective on those who struggle with the obstacles mental illness comes with as well as the support they are …show more content…
The Critically Evaluating School Mental Health focuses on the systematic criteria to better the mental health programs in schools. The website presents "Digital Storytelling" which allows youth to share their experiences struggling through mental illness. This ensures individuals that they are not on their own facing obstacles they endure suffering with their conditions. Teen Mental Health speaks about the barriers individuals go through; including the isolation, oppression, and myths. Mental illness is not a condition that is visible on the outside, it is difficult to understand challenges we did not personally endure. The fear of stigma in the mental health issue causes restrictions of opportunities in their everyday lives; including the perception that individuals with mental illness are often "crazy" and "unpredictable". That being said, this website has educated me about the difficulties that arise; having to deal with society 's perception. My understanding of mental illness was not shaped by media, however, I did not realize the number of youths affected by mental illness. Also, this website informs you about all the different programs provided within schools to assist individuals which I personally did not know