The 2012 Ted Talk “A Tale of Mental Illness: from the Inside” given by Elyn Saks, a USC professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry, delves into Sak’s own battle with chronic schizophrenia (Saks, 2012). When she was first diagnosed with the condition, the psychiatrists pronounced that there is an extreme likelihood that she would end up spending her life in psychiatric hospitals.
Today, Saks is the associate dean of the University of Southern California Gould Law school. She attributes her success in life to excellent treatment, an understanding and supportive family, and an accommodating work environment.
Photo by Feifei Peng on Unsplash
Unlike her, Saks explains that a majority of people with mental illnesses are criminalized. An example of this mistreatment is the L.A. County jail, which is now the biggest psychiatric facility in America. She furthers to claim that if those who were incarcerated in the L.A county jailed received the same treatment as her, they would also be able to function normally in society. Instead, they are immediately characterized as dangerous to themselves and others, an excuse used to justify their imprisonment and improper treatment. Saks underscores the extreme damage that discrimination and criminalization have on mentally ill individuals. As Saks says, society should embrace the idea that “the humanity that we all share is more important than the mental illness we may not”.
- Claire Kraft is a senior in the Applied Psychology program. She is also pursuing a minor in Anthropology. Claire is primarily interested in trauma psychology as it relates to juveniles in the criminal justice system. Claire currently works as an Advocate for the ROSES team.
References
Saks, E. (2012, June). “A Tale of Mental Illness: from the Inside”. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/elyn_saks_seeing_mental_illness?referrer=playlist-the_struggle_of_mental_health#t-854095