Treatment techniques of mental illnesses throughout history Coursework

Treatment techniques of mental illnesses throughout history - Coursework Example The perception of mental illnesses tends to differ from one culture to another. As a result, different cultures have varying views of what is considered normal and what can be regarded as abnormal. A culture’s perception of mental illnesses has an impact on the intervention strategies, which will be employed while treating a mental illness (Videbeck 4). Traditionally, the psychotherapy relied upon in the treatment of mental disorders borrowed a lot from the psychoanalytic framework, as well as the existential approaches. The influence of Sigmund Freud in the treatment of mental disorders is remarkable owing to the fact that the notion of psychoanalysis can be traced back to his works. This paper will examine how the views on mental illnesses have influenced the techniques of treatment throughout history. The paper will also explore some of the Greek and Roman perceptions of mental illnesses, as well as views of mental illnesses during the Middle Ages. The paper draws from the works of various authors in answering the study questions. The views and treatment of mental disorders throughout history Throughout history, there have been various perceptions of mental illnesses that have guided the treatment of these diseases, as well as how the society perceives mentally ill persons. Among the Greeks, Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, perceived mental illnesses as conditions that could be understood in relation to physiology that can be termed as disturbed. The Greek held that mental illnesses can be understood in the realm of possession by demons, or the anger of gods. Medical practitioners in Greek later on came up with treatments, which could be used for persons suffering from mental illnesses. These new forms of treatment focussed on the use of drugs in treating mental illnesses, as well as availing care from the family members who provide support to the mentally ill persons (Videbeck 5). The Greek can be regarded as the first group of people that id entified mental illnesses as conditions as opposed to the belief mental illnesses signified wicked supernatural powers. According to the Greeks, conditions such as hysteria only affected women as a result of their uterus that could be considered as wandering. The Greek also used some unique ways of treating mental illnesses. For instance, psychosis was treated using blood-letting while the treatment of depression took place through bathing. Based on the treatment methods employed by the Greeks, there was no room for the use of words that could console the patient (Davies et al. 18). In Greece, there was  some stigma attached to mental illnesses during the ancient times; mentally-ill persons suffered a lot of shame, humiliation, and loss of respect. Ancient Greeks believed that mental illnesses were an indication of punishment for both the major, as well as minor transgressions, which a person may have committed. The Greek society always shunned and isolated those individuals who h ad any form of mental condition. Some people could be locked up in order to keep them off from other people, and to some extent some could be killed in order to prevent them from becoming a nuisance to others in the society (Bewley 4). With time, the Greeks came to believe that the agents they did not see could not be used as the basis upon which mental disorders could be understood. As a result, there arose a need to know the exact causes of mental illnesses,