Ananya Iyer Remedial for missed quiz 1 Remedial entry for quiz1.  What on the outside is just a tall, brick structure in modern times is used as a   shield by society against the “lunacy” that lies within. The concept of an institution that houses and treats mentally ill individuals, or a mental asylum,   has come a long way from its initial, primal conception. Jonathan Miller’s documentary “Out of Sight” tries to explain this evolution by analyzing not only the actual institution, but also the social, political, economic scenarios of the time. He also introduces figures who introduced radical changes in the field of psychoanalysis and therapy, and explains the impact that each had on the treatment of mental health and the development of psychological perspectives to their current form. The earliest predecessor to the mental asylum was built Greece, sanctuaries called Epidauros. Miller starts from the Middle to early Modern Ages, wherein the first instances of...

Are mental illnesses "myths"? - Shruti Kirti Shrivastava In his article, titled Revisiting the Myths of Mental Illness and Thomas Szasz , Dr. Bruce Poulson highlights the dynamic nature of the perceptions of mental illnesses even in the present-day scenario of increasing acceptance of mental illnesses and decreasing stigma surrounding the topic. Moreover, he emphasizes on the need to find a middle ground between the two extremes regarding such a perception- one of complete dismissal of the validity of the concept of mental illness, and one where excessive categorization has led to over-dependence on methods of treatments ranging from psychiatry to therapy. While Szasz holds very radical beliefs about the ‘myth of mental illnesses’, his ideas highlight a crucial, albeit subtle, point about the “ medical model for  understanding   human struggles and difficulties”. (Poulson 2012) The classification and the use of diagnostic models for understanding mental illnesse...

Aanchal Sharrma Remedial Blog Post – Mental Narayan and Shikha in their article on the Indian Legal System and Mental Health deal with the changes in the legal system in our country and the kind of impact it has on the understanding of mental illnesses, its perception, and treatment. The article deals with three point of views, one is in Ancient India, second is changes observed during the colonial period and third, is the modern perspective which has emerged due to appeals by the United Nations and many human right activists. Through this essay, I am going to analyze the importance of the article, the changes in the legal system over time. I will focus on explaining that the legal system is important in creating informed opinions about mental health and about people with mental illnesses. Ancient India had a distinct law, which was an independent school of legal theory and practice. This means it lacked any outside influence which I believe, could be both a positive and n...