In this paper, you should describe someone you know well (yourself, a family member, a friend) who has suffered from mental illness (e.g., depression, panic attacks, phobias, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia). What do you think are the causes of the person’s mental illness? How much do you think the person’s mental illness resulted from biological factors (genes, brain chemistry), and how much do you think it resulted from the person’s environment (e.g., parental rearing, life stresses, a terrible loss such as a death in the family or the breakup of a relationship). Did the person receive counseling or therapy? Was it effective? Relate your account to research on mental illness and its treatment.
