- What is Insanity?
- Madness throughout history
- Madness in society
- Insanity symptoms
- Stigma of insanity
- Family and madness
- Insanity simulation
We explain what madness is and how this pathology developed throughout history. Madness in society and its symptoms.
Insanity is considered the deprivation of judgment or use of reason.What is Insanity?
Insanity consists of a pathology or disturbance of the mental faculties. It is also defined as "deprivation of judgment or the use of reason."
Until the end of the 19th century, madness was understood to be all behaviors that deviated from those socially expected, that is, they did not meet the established norms, but all this based on or because of a mental imbalance, such as epilepsy or any other "disease" that made the person manifest strange behaviors.
Madness throughout history
It used to be said that madmen could be possessed or bewitched.Before being associated with the psyche of man, it was directly related to supernatural events, even saying that a person was possessed, bewitched or derivatives. It was also said that madmen reached this state because of their own sins. So for quite some time demons and divine punishments were linked to mental disorders.
Later, specifically from the Middle Ages, different diseases began to be added to the list of "follies", in this century there were lepers, but after the plague, venereal diseases continued.
In the period of Renaissance madness was conceived as a manifestation of evil and madmen were banished from civilization in the "stultifera navis" or ship of madmen.
It is not until Humanism that madness becomes a matter of human reason and an important turn arises, it is about questioning the habitual vision of people, making a criticism of the conception of reality. And finally, it is in the 17th century when the crazy hospital was created.
Madness in society
The "crazy" often suffer from social isolation.- It is a behavior that moves away from rules socially dictated.
- The "crazy" tend to suffer social isolation, because they do not tend to be very well integrated by common civilians, although in certain societies people suffering from different types of psychic pathologies have been included in a better way.
- Integration is linked to the opportunities offered by the Condition or non-governmental entities.
Insanity symptoms
Insanity is not a disease in itself, but rather a way of grouping people in a generic way. persons who have mental disorders. Therefore, establishing symptoms of madness is difficult, but certain characteristics can be named such as:
- Conduct apart from what is expected in society, characterized by being erratic.
- Loss of control of emotions, disinhibition.
- Bizarre, absurd and useless acts that are performed by the person believing that it is natural, "normal".
Stigma of insanity
For centuries the end of psychotics was confinement, keeping them isolated and away from civilization was the most "reasonable" decision at that time, since that is how the citizens they were not disturbed by them.
In the postwar period, this changed. They began to have a more human and "democratic" vision on this issue, that is, it was understood that during the past time they acted cruelly, therefore there is a new approach towards these people who are not yet conceived within minorities when they are.
At present and in the cultures Westerners seek integration. However, this still has a great flaw and that is misinformation.
In countries like Spain, campaigns are carried out to explain that a person suffering from schizophrenia can access jobs like anyone else and carry a life common like all, as long as it is under treatment, something that enhances inclusion.
Family and madness
Many times the attention of professionals is required in an efficient way.The families They are a fundamental part of any person, especially when it has a certain dependence, such as psychotics.
Any family that is dependent on a person with psychiatric disorders not only requires the help of the government or the State, such as the economic one, but also needs resources such as health care professionals efficiently, where the attention time is optimal, with home visits if necessary, among others.
Currently, families, in most countries, feel little supported and when patients do not have family support, they usually fall back on what the State provides, which is not usually an acceptable minimum assistance.
Insanity simulation
In society there are phenomena that serve as defense or a kind of "adaptation", within them lie lies, we will consider within these the simulation, oversimulation and concealment of madness.
- Simulation. It consists of pretending to be crazy, either to say what you think or justify behaviors.
- Overstimulation It is the intention of the alienated to pass as crazy, it is what happens with criminals who seek through this way to get rid of convictions or social stigmas related to crime.
- Dissimulation. It consists of people trying to camouflage their problems psychics, since they suspect that they have psychiatric problems and do not want to be hospitalized, treated or known in this way in society.