Unit 9 Chapter 1 and 4.

The first article is about mental illness. How people in different culture believe how to help people with mental illness. In South East Asia many people believe that the Shaman can get the spirit out of a person’s body, so that he can get well. In Western Europe many people believe in something different. They believe in psychiatry. They use medication and suggest therapy to help them get well. In West Africa many people believe in evil spirit possession. They believe the witch doctor can help a person get well. But it is important for the witch doctor to talk with the person’s family and close friends first. In Latin America many people believe in malefic influence, this means that someone has sent for someone else to be unhappy. The pai de Santo can help the mentally ill person.  

When I watch the youtube videos the first video talks about the stigma of mental illness.  For example the mean names people call those with mental illnesses, such as “crazy” or “looney.” The second video talks about how we need to educate ourselves, accept, and not judge people with mental illnesses. The third one was about mental illness in Bali. Some people with mental illnesses are treated like animals, and chained up.

            The second article talks about how Western psychology can over look important things like the person culture. When someone has a mental illness there is not just one way, like Western psychology that should be used to help. It is important to look at mental illness cross-culturally.