Social Issue

   The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that was fist published in 1892. It is the story of a woman of the same time period who, after childbirth, enters a state of mental insanity and instead of receiving proper treatment she is merely placed in a room at her summer home. 

   What is depression and mental illness? Depression is an illness of the mind that interferes with a persons daily life and their routines, often ruining relationships of family and friends. It is categorized in many different forms, some being more serious than others and lasting longer periods of time. Some forms are; 

   -Psychotic Depression: a form of depression which occurs when a person already has depression and begins to experience different forms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucinations. 

   -Postpartum Depression: a form of depression that many woman experience after giving birth due to the overwhelming responsibility.  

   -Seasonal Affective Disorder: This is a form of depression that is brought on by a change in seasons and occurs during the winter time. 

   Mental illness however, are assumed to be caused by many genetic and environmental factors. Some hypothesized causes are; 

   -Inherited traits: mental illnesses can usually be passed down throughout generations. It is found to be more common in those who have a family history of mental illness. 

   -Biological Factors: other factors can include outside forces, such as brain injury or exposure to toxins of viruses while in the womb. 

    -Life experiences: High stress, loss of family members or other loved ones, challenging situations and other such ordeals can affect a persons mental health. 

    -Brain Chemistry: In many cases, changes in the brain can also affect mental health, including a persons mood. Hormonal imbalances are a main cause in younger people that may bring on depression, distorted thinking and pessimism.  

   Depression has always been a major

  In The Yellow Wallpaper, we the social issue being portrayed by the nameless character, a woman, who is suffering from a form of Psychotic Depression that has most likely been brought on by Postpartum Depression. Postpartum depression is quite difficult to notice as many people just think it is the 'Baby Blues,' caused by lack of sleep, changes in hormones in woman after giving birth. However, Postpartum Depression is far more serious and affects up to at least 13% of woman after childbirth, usually appearing abut 3 months into motherhood. In the story this is showed by how the woman slowly begins going insane and having hallucinations after being locked in her summer home by her husband. 

   Throughout history we see many accounts of people having been affected by depression and mental illness, and over time we see the treatments changing, thankfully for the better. In the 19th century, when Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, the main medical treatments for people that had been diagnosed with any form of depression would be to have them get some 'fresh air' and to remove the original reason of stress. In our time, technology has improved greatly and now people are even looking into treating depression with electrodes in the brain, stimulating a certain area of the brain in order to target the depression. Edi Guyton, a woman who suffered from depression for over 40 and who had tried to take her life twice, had volunteered in the 90's for the experimental treatment. After extensive trials she had claimed that the treatment did in fact work. 

   On the other hand, people that suffered from mental illness in the 1800's were usually thrown into prison cells in asylums and no major efforts would be made to help them. In present time, however, we have taker greater steps in helping people, offering verbal treatments such as therapists and councellors.  Getting people to also interact in society has also been proven to be quite helpful.