Chapters 5-8 Diagnostic Terms

 Are some mental illnesses natural, as opposed to socially constructed? How might we discern “real” mental illnesses from ways of being that are wrongly pathologized in order to reinforce social norms?

I do believe that there are mental illnesses that are just natural. We're all different humans so I'd like to believe that our brains are made up of unique chemical compositions. I'm pretty far from an expert in this subject but it is something I'm always looking to learn more in. While I believe that certain mental illnesses are natural, the events that transpire throughout our life can definitely cause a socially constructed mental illnesses. Most of us are fighting a war with ourselves in some shape or another and it seems as if no matter how hard you fight, this war may never come to an end. Possibly, the natural mental illnesses we have can be altered or worsened through a person's life through what they experience. I have no clue as to what the difference between a natural mental illness and a socially constructed one is however. I would love to learn the difference between the two because they seem so different from each other, but in the end they are both mental illnesses.

As for the second part of this question, I can sense some anger and for a good reason. From the reading I found out that the American Psychiatric Association regarded transgenderism as one of a pair of mental illnesses. Either Gender Identity Disorder (GID) or Gender Identity Disorder Child (GIDC). They were diagnosed through symptoms such as strong and persistent cross-gender identification and persistent discomfort about one's assigned sex. I can see why this made trans people rather unsettled. To classify something as a mental illness has historically meant that there is something wrong with you. What the APA is trying to get at is that there is something mentally wrong with trans people. I'm not a trans person, but I can certainly empathize. The last thing someone wants to hear when they are different is that they are mentally ill. Not only will this hurt anyone's confidence, but it only makes these subjects more difficult to talk about when all they are trying to be is understood. And trans people cannot be understood if they will never feel comfortable to talk about it. Mental illnesses are such a tough subject to fully understand because an ill person has to come out and speak about what they are going through to a professional to be diagnosed. All this professional will be able to do is interpret when the patient might not even know how they feel. Mental illnesses are a fragile subject and while they are all real in some shape or form, being trans should not be associated with such when most people aren't even willing to understand.