I'm talking about Guest101's ORIGINAL thread. THIS one we are now on. The first post.
Bigalspal
The posts Mud and I were referring to were from Overcomer's thread, ARE WE MENTALLY ILL? as follow:
guest101
Guest
Re: Are we mentally ill?
« Reply #46 on: July 16, 2007, 05:49:57 PM »
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mentally ill or not, violence arises when one feels that they have little or no other option to effectuate control over their own life. IMO, those with dysfunctional parents are more suseptible to becoming violent and/or abusive because of learned behavior and poor modeling coupled w/ feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, et cetera.
Does mental illness cause violence?
Mental illness plays no part in the majority of violent crimes committed in our society. The assumption that any and every mental illness carries with it an almost certain potential for violence has been proven wrong in many studies.
There is a relationship between violent behaviour and symptoms which cause the person to feel threatened and/or involve the overriding of personal control. Examples of these criteria include specific symptoms such as command hallucinations and feeling that one's mind is being dominated by outside forces.
Current research shows that people with major mental illness are 2.5 times more likely to be the victims of violence than other members of society. This most often occurs when such factors as poverty, transient lifestyle and substance use are present. Any of these factors make a person with mental illness more vulnerable to assault and the possibility of becoming violent in response.
Who is at risk?
The pattern of violence is remarkably similar whether a person is suffering with a mental illness or not. People with a mental illness, for instance, are no more likely than anyone else to harm strangers. Violent behaviour by anyone is generally aimed at family and friends, rather than strangers, and it happens in the home, not in public.
Typically, spouses, other intimates and other family members are the targets of violence committed by a person with mental illness. Most of this violence is committed by men and directed to women - as is the case in the population as a whole.
Factors affecting violence
The conditions which increase the risk of violence are the same whether a person has a mental illness or not. Throughout our society, alcohol and drug use are the prime contributors to violent behaviour.
Another important factor is a violent background. Individuals suffering from psychosis or neurological impairment who live in a stressful, unpredictable environment with little family or community support may be at increased risk for violent behaviour. The risk for family violence is related to, among other factors, low socioeconomic status, social stress, social isolation, poor self esteem and personality problems.
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guest101
Guest
Re: Are we mentally ill?
« Reply #47 on: July 16, 2007, 06:01:38 PM »
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P. S. for myself, I have a great amount of sympathy for anyone who feels so helpless and out of control that they resort to violence although I wouldn't tolerate that behavior from anyone in the least. I've been both the abuser and the abused so I'm not prepared to condemn anyone for their choices - I don't see myself as "different" only fortunate. All of us will resort to certain behaviors so long as we remain unaware that we have other choices.
People who are in pain make painful choices and usually end up hurting themselves and those who are closest to them, whether it is as "grave" as murder or as "benign" as hurtful words. End Post