Social Work & Mental Health                     Author Note Clint A. Wilson, Huntington University Introduction to Social Work (SWX171-(EX16)-X1, SP-2017-UNDG) Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Clint Wilson, Contact: clint@clintawilson.com   Social Work & Mental Health Mental health according to dictionary.com is a “psychological well-being and satisfactory adjustment to society and the ordinary demands of life” (“Dictionary.com,” n.d.). The phrase “ordinary demands of life” ("Dictionary.com,” n.d.) are what I found most interesting. My question is what qualified ordinary demands of life? Who makes that judgment call on what is ordinary and what is not? I was torn between two images, one was merely name tags with various mental health issues wrote on them, then I saw the one below, and it reminded me of some battles I have had in the past with my mental health. Reading through chapter six I came across the section entitled “Social Justice Issues in the Mental Health Field” (Suppes & Wells, 2012 pg. 180). This section speaks of the stigmata’s placed on certain mental health issues. As I have dealt with mental illness in my family, as well as myself, I am always reminded of the shameful feeling that some people have when facing their mental illness. I have seen the negativity first hand and have seen relationships break down due to ignorance of mental illness. Fortunately, mental health problems are becoming less of a negative and are starting to be accepted I was impressed and shocked at the level of detail the text spoke of with regards to psychotropic medications and their treatment usage. I do find myself though looking through the medicines of my students, and I can identify nearly every psychotropic medication and its use just from being around it for so long. Knowing their mental health issues does allow me to anticipate possible behaviors and combat them appropriately. One example I noticed one of my students was taking Lamotrigine, Sertraline, and Buspirone. The other house parents did not understand why his moods changed so much. I asked the question to the campus doctor, is this student bipolar and it was confirmed he was. While reflecting on the image that I have chosen for this artifact, I feel a sense of entrapment. The same entrapment that people often feel when diagnosed with a mental illness. The entrapment I felt when I was in my late teens, fighting depression. I showed this picture to my spouse and asked what do you see? Her response was I see myself fighting my anxiety and depression hiding on the inside trying to escape. That is the best imagery I can think of to describe how someone feels when dealing with their illness. As a social worker whom will be potentially dealing with people from different cultures, ethnic groups, and backgrounds. It is imperative that we take in account the cultures feelings and emotions when dealing with mental health issues. Just like in the opening story, when Roberta spoke with the help of the Cherokee Nation social worker, Roberta was able to get David back home and which gave him the access to the tribal medicine men and spiritual healers. This connection would be the most beneficial for David, in dealing with his schizophrenia in an atmosphere that was familiar and safe to him. References No Title. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mental-health?s=t Suppes, M. A., & Wells, C. C. (2012). The Social Work. The Social Work Experience (Sixth). Pearson.