What do you do when someone makes you so uncomfortable about who you are? Usually I just don't care and don't allow them in my life. This time it is not so easy. I have a prof who doesn't seem to believe that mental illness exists. He has brought up the "lack of biological evidence" of mental illness, and how medication doesn't help in fact it makes the problem worse. He did bring up that talk therapy is a good first line in dealing with some mental illness which for some people is very helpful.
To make matter worse, I have to have him next term, that is 6 and a half months left of him.
He is the only Social Work prof at the school. I know that I am particularly sensitive to this issue, however we are going into a profession where we will be helping people who may or may not have mental illnesses, and I do not think teaching that it may not exist is the right way to go about it. (I have talked to others in the class who are also upset about this).
I know that there are these thought and beliefs out there, and that is fine with me, as I have run into them before, there is just a time and a place to discuss them.
So off to class, debate section of class today, I am praying that I keep my mouth shut or at least my words civil.
Keep up the good work doll face! Obviously your prof has been living under a rock ...maybe he has some mental illness stuff ..
ReplyDeleteWHAT?! He's a social work prof and he doesn't even understand that mental illness exists and needs a lot more attention?! I had an awesome social work prof who really opened my eyes that many 'outward problems' (ie homelessness) is all based off of mental illness and because society doesn't see it, we ignore it and say it's not there.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad to know that there are people out there that support this AND are supposed to be our role models.