Question by Torn Wings: How can I turn this from psychology to anthropology?
I’m supposed to write a research paper on aspects of culture. How can i turn—– Mental health. Looking for: misdiagnoses, “treatments”, how society treats you when they know it.—- Into anthropology thesis? Or can you give me other culture aspects to look at

Best answer:

Answer by mdp
The subject seems more like a sociology or psychology topic than one of anthropology. In Anthropology there is the field of ethnography, in which a person observes a culture. It is possible to observe a mental hospital (though HIPPA laws would make this difficult).

You could also look at the evolutionary advantages to a mental illness. If they are at least 50% genetic, what causes these people to be able to find a mate and reproduce? There must be some selective advantage or they would all but die out. If you look at bipolar disorder (which I have), many people have a higher than average IQ. Many, during manic episodes, accomplish a lot of great works. Some are writers, artists, inventors etc.

When a person is manic they are hypersexual, personable, outgoing, witty, basically the life of the party, add to this their increased intelligence and their ability to get things done along with a hightened sex drive and you have an appealing partner (at least at that moment) who is ready to spread their genes.

Now the bad part comes when the mania is over. Then you have a depressed lump on a log who has a decreased sex drive. But selection only needs a few attempts to pass on genes, and in a bipolar persons case it is most likely when they are manic.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

 

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