2023 Discuss how your worldview will impact your decision making Presently there are millions of people worldwide living with some form of

Discuss how your worldview will impact your decision-making

Presently there are millions of people worldwide living with some form of mental illness, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression, addictive behaviors, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, multi personality disorders, and several others rooted by a mixture of reasons. Nonetheless, approximately two thirds of those individuals with mental illness don’t seek treatment. I have seen many patients that are suffering since they choose not to talk about it and one of the reasons is discouragement or shame. Research shows that favorable exchange with one’s close social circle or environment has a more encouraging effects on the persons wellbeing and mental health (Tough, Siegrist, & Fekete, 2017). Unfortunately, some individuals within the close social circles to people who suffer with mental illness view treatment plans or medications as not relevant. Even if I have never suffered from any type of mental illness, I can only imagine how hard it must be for those that do and how worldview would impact decision making with regards to medication for these health conditions. Any insinuation of criticism or negativity surrounding treatment needed discourages those people that are suffering. When individuals with mental illness need help, they need to feel comfortable enough to seek and receive active treatment for these conditions. Too often patients feel shame, humiliated, dishonor, and remorse over the need to seek medical assistance whether is medication or psychological treatment.

In various occasions individuals, family, friend, and fellow coworkers have their own perceptions of how a depressed or anxious person should behave as they may not fit the stereotype or have any medical history. As well, it must be discouraging within a person’s culture to express their feeling and not be viewed as weak as they are told to “get over it” or “stop looking at things in a negative way”. For instance, remarks similar to Emily Wu Truong article states “Don’t share your problems or else you’ll bring shame to yourself and the family” (Truong, 2017).  My observation regarding comments of this sort is that it comes from uneducated people and sadly contributes in keeping those in pain away from being mentally and physically healthy or seeking help either with therapy or medications. Emily Wu Troung statements demonstrate how a person similarly struggles with how the world views them. Emily states, “I also grew up being my own worst enemy. Despite how kind I was to others, I did not know how to be kind or loving to myself. I didn’t know how to feel proud of myself. In my mind, I was the tormenter and the victim. I was only capable of seeing my weaknesses. I felt inadequate and anxious around people. I wanted to share my heavy heart, but didn’t know who I could trust. I was a lonely girl who felt damaged, but yearned to be loved and accepted. Throughout my life, I was paralyzed by my fear, feelings of inadequacy and self-disappointment” (Truong , 2017).

Mental illnesses are thought to be caused by a variety of environmental and genetic factors which include DNA traits, CVA, brain injury, environmental exposures before birth, psychological, cope mechanism, and brain chemistry. It is crucial for healthcare providers and organizations to be the voice and supportive hands in the lives of those individuals that don’t have good support or guidance around them to survive something as serious as mental illness.  It’s somehow encouraging that awareness continues to grow and more people get educated. Some organizations are putting more in place to help all those living with anxiety, depression, and disorders. For many years the month of May have been designated for Mental Health Awareness, in which the objective is to provide support, public education, fight stigma and advocate for policies to support mental illness patients and their families. It is important to break down the stereotype associated with mental health disorders in the hopes that they can change the perception of mental health worldwide.

Reply 2

Worldview and Decision-Making

The diagnosis of a chronic ailment not only derails one’s focus in life but also means that at some point, most of their time will be spent on things diagnostic tests, doctors’ appointments, and constant monitoring (Bodenheimer, MacGregor, & Stothart, 2018). As I grew up, I watched some of my relatives struggle to manage a health condition by taking daily medications which made me pray never to be in such a situation. However, after pursuing nursing and being registered as one, my perception of taking daily medication significantly changed. In the first place, I would not love the idea of taking a daily medication to manage a health condition I wish I didn’t have but given the significance of the same, I would strive to live a better and more meaningful life. Undoubtedly, I have seen people with cancer, bipolar disorder, depression, or other illnesses encourage others that being diagnosed with such a disease does not literally imply that it’s the end of life. At the same time, in the zeal to live a normal life, I would ensure that I approach any issues from a therapeutic perspective or commitment and acceptance therapy (ACT) implying that with time, I have no challenges accepting the condition I am in. Notably, I would avoid being rigid in behavior and thinking which is typically the largest barrier to living well with an illness. Equally important, I would embrace psychological flexibility where I would strive to be used with taking daily medication rather than being stuck in feelings or emotions of the moment like frustration, anger, pain, and sadness. Undoubtedly, this would be motivated by the experience of my relatives whom I have seen live for long even with existing medical conditions.

On the other hand, as a registered nurse, my worldview about taking daily medication is now different from the perception I had as I grew. Precisely, after being diagnosed with a disease I wish I never head, I would ensure that I understand the condition as much as possible in order to minimize its severity through techniques like therapy and diet. Equally important, I would cooperate with healthcare professionals to help improve the quality of care and eliminate medication errors since through collaboration, self-care can be easily enforced. Moreover, even though I would still have a difficult time accepting the condition, I would set realistic expectations about the outcome of the treatment process by engaging in research or discussion with other healthcare professionals. Consequently, I would take my medication as prescribed to help minimize side effects associated with drug abuse and medication errors. Understanding the significance of communication in healthcare outcomes, I would share experiences, research, and resources with other patients with same illnesses to help improve the quality of their lives (Eliasson & Linde¸ 2016). Most importantly, as a nurse, the diagnosis of a condition requiring a life-long intake of medication would be followed by connecting with sources of emotional support as well as sources of reliable information like advocacy groups and psychologists.