Many people have a generic conception of certain mental illnesses and fail to see the unique attributes of each individual. Throughout the interviews it can be seen how diverse each person’s skill sets are. In each of the interviews it is demonstrated how beneficial it may be for the person with mental illness to have people helping him/her towards “looking at the person as a whole person and what they could possibly achieve rather than looking at the illness that they have”; and working towards highlighting the individual’s functional abilities (Hungerford, 2012, p70). Sandy Jeffs is one of the many who have worked towards her skill sets of humour, poetry, and public speaking to fight the ‘demons’ she has which she refuses to let destroy her life.
Through these interviews it can be seen that the bittersweet experience people with mental illness have, could be made more sweet than bitter by viewing the person as an individual with unique skillsets which can be worked on to possibly achieve something.
References
ABC. (2008). Angels and Demons. [Online Video]. 17 April. Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/interactive/angelsanddemons/. [Accessed: 14 March 2014].
Hungerford, C (2012). Mental health care: an introduction for health professionals. Milton, Australia: John Wiley & Sons. p70.
References: ABC. (2008). Angels and Demons. [Online Video]. 17 April. Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/interactive/angelsanddemons/. [Accessed: 14 March 2014]. Hungerford, C (2012). Mental health care: an introduction for health professionals. Milton, Australia: John Wiley & Sons. p70.
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