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HayleyDesiderio
Mr.Conrad
ExpositoryWriting,Period5
14October2015
CivilCommitment
Manypeoplesufferingfrommentalillnessesareseenasindividualswhoareamajor
threattothepublic.Thisideaiscausingnegativeattitudestowardsthementallyilltodrastically
increase.Alargeamountofpatientsareviewedasdangerousandareinvoluntarilycommitted,or
institutionalized,onaregularbasis.Manyaretakenawayfromtheirfamiliesandtreatedunfairly
duetoaccusationsgiventothembyothers.AsDr.ThomasSzasz,ProfessorofPsychiatry
Emeritus,statesinhisarticleaboutcivilcommitmentcivilcommitmentresultsinthelossof
liberty,andsubjectsthevictimtohazardsatthehandsofmedicalcriminals(Involuntary
PsychiatricCommitment).Thosewhodonothavemuchknowledgeaboutmentalillnessestake
theirignoranceandturnitintoapprehension.Societyoftenviewsthatwhichtheydonot
understandassomethingthreatening,andmostpeoplebelievethatthosesufferingfrommental
disordersdeservetobeisolatedorremovedfromthepublicinordertoensuresafety.However,
lifeinaninstitutionismuchdifferentfromwhatpeoplebelieveandthosewithinthemarenot
treatedthewayanyhumandeserves.Involuntaryinstitutionalizationgoesagainstthebasic
humanrightslistedintheConstitution,whichleadstoaformofsegregationforthementallyill.
Institutionswerecreatedinordertohelpandprovideastableenvironmentforthose
sufferingfrommentalillnesses.Theyareexpectedtomakelifeeasierforpatientsandpotentially
rehabilitatetoastatethatissafeforfunctioningontheirown,orinpublic.However,many

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studieshavecometoshowthatinstitutionalizationmaybringmoreharmthangoodtothelives
ofitspatients.Inacontroversialarticle,writtenbyIraA.Burnim,itisarguedthatthementally
illshouldnotbeinstitutionalized.[Burnim]contendsthatinstitutionalizationisharmfulbecause
itsegregatesthoseindividualsfromtherestofsocietyandgreatlylimitstheirautonomy
(InstitutionalizationHarms).Ininstitutions,ascheduleismadeforallpatientstomechanically
followbasedontheinstitutionsneeds.Theyarenotallowedtospendtheirtimeastheywant.
Patientsdonothaveanactiveroleintheirfamilyorcommunitylife,andtheyhavelittle
entertainmentwithbasicallynojobopportunities.Peoplesufferingwithmentalillnesseshopeto
regainthepartsoftheirlivesthatthementalillnesshastakenawayfromthem.Unfortunately,
[a]ninstitutiondoesnotgivelifetopeopleitonlytakesitaway(Institutionalization
Harms).Ithasbeenshownthatinstitutionsarenothingofasafeandtranquilplaceforpatients.
Theyexperiencemanydehumanizingsituationsthatleadthemtoestrangement,anddeviant
socialvalues.Involuntaryinstitutionalizationputspatientsinsituationsthatarenothumaneand
goagainstthebasichumanrightsthatarelistedintheConstitution.
Muchofsocietyworriesthatmentallyillindividualsmaybeharmfultothepublic.Those
whobelievethisareoftenadvocatesofinvoluntaryinstitutionalization.Peopleareoften
institutionalizedbecauseofafearthattheymightdosomethinghurtful,andnotactuallybecause
theyhave.Manydonotseehowmuchofaninhumaneactthisis.Forcingsomeoneintoan
institutionoftenaffectstheirmentalhealthinsuchanegativewaythattheymayevenbecome
moredangerousthantheyeverwerebefore.Mostpeopleareblindedbyfearanddonotseethe
damagetheyaredoingbyforcingothersoutoftheirfreedom.

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Believingthatpeoplewhosufferfrommentalillnessesshouldbeputintoinstitutionsisa
normalbeliefinsocietytoday.Thementallyillaremisunderstoodandmanydonotknowhowto
handlethemwhichusuallyleadstoafearoftheunknown.Thosesufferingwithmentalillnesses
sometimesactoutdifferentlythanotherpeopledo,andmanypeopledonotknowhowtotakeit.
Theymisunderstandandthinkthattheyarealwaysactingoutnegatively.Beingsomeonewhois
notaccustomedorusedtopeoplewiththosebehaviorsoftenhaveahardtimerelatingto
somethingthatissodifferentandunknowntothem.Therefore,itiseasytoseewhysomany
peopleareforinstitutions.Themajorityofpeoplewhoagreewiththemhaveneverbeeninthe
positiontohavealovedonetakenfromthemforreasonssounclear.However,forthosewhodo
havementalpatientswithintheirfamilies,alotofheartbreakcomesalongwiththeideaof
involuntaryinstitutionalization.
Ultimately,thesepeoplearejustlikeeveryoneelseinthebigschemeofthings.Theyare
apartofsomeonesfamilyandcannotcontroltheirillness,soitiswrongforthemtobetaken
fromaplacewheretheyareunderstoodandlovedbecauseofotherpeople'sarrogance.
Involuntaryinstitutionalizationgoesagainstthebasichumanrightslistedintheconstitution
whichleadstoaformofsegregationforthementallyill.

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WorksCited
"InvoluntaryPsychiatricCommitmentACrackInTheDoorOfConstitutionalFreedoms."
Citizens
CommissiononHumanRights,1994.Web.14Oct.2015.
MentalIllnessNotUsuallyLinkedtoCrime,ResearchFinds."
AmericanPsychological
Association
.
AmericanPsychologicalAssociation,2014.Web.14Oct.2015.
"InstitutionalizationHarmsMostMentallyIllPersons."
MentalIllness
.Ed.TamaraL.
RoleffandLauraK.Egendorf.SanDiego:GreenhavenPress,2000.Opposing
Viewpoints.
Rpt.from"TheADA's'IntegrationMandate'ShouldPromoteCommunityServices."
1998.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.7Oct.2015.
URL

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