What's so funny about mental illness? | Ruby Wax

Introduction

In this section, the speaker introduces herself and talks about mental illness.

• One in four people suffer from some sort of mental illness.

• The speaker is one of the one in four.

• She thanks the makers of Lamotrigine, Sertraline, and Reboxetine for helping her manage her condition.

The Breakdown

In this section, the speaker talks about her experience with mental illness.

• The speaker always dreamt that she would have a deep Kafkaesque existentialist revelation or that Cate Blanchett would play her and win an Oscar for it when she had her final breakdown. But that's not what happened. She had her breakdown during her daughter's sports day.

• After taking to bed for about a month, she found herself institutionalized and saw other inmates who became her only friends because very few people sent cards or flowers.

• People with mental illness often feel shame because their friends don't understand what they're going through and tell them to "perk up." This disease comes with a package that includes hearing abusive voices on a loop tape which can lead to depression.

Mental Damage

In this section, the speaker discusses how people view mental damage differently than physical damage.

• When people have mental damage, it's often seen as an active imagination rather than an actual problem like any other organ in your body getting sick.

• The speaker talks about the brain and how it can get sick just like any other organ in your body. She also mentions that there is some good news, and we've come a long way.

The Human Brain

In this section, the speaker talks about the temporal lobe and long-term memory. She also explains how the human brain is filled with neurons that transmit information electrically.

Temporal Lobe and Long-Term Memory

• The temporal lobe allows us to hear the world.

• The brain has a little bit of long-term memory.

• Every human being carries equipment for long-term memory.

Neurons in the Brain

• The brain has 100 billion neurons that transmit information electrically.

• Each neuron can have from 10,000 to 100,000 different connections or dendrites.

Evolution and Modern Man

In this section, the speaker talks about how evolution did not prepare humans for modern life. She explains how our bodies still react as if we were ancient man facing predators.

Fight or Flight Response

• Our bodies fill up with adrenaline and cortisol when we feel threatened by a predator.

• Nowadays, when we feel in danger, our body still fills up with chemicals but because we can't fight or flee like ancient man, the fuel stays in our body over and over again.

Language and Constant Emergency

• About 150,000 years ago when language came online, humans started putting words to this constant emergency.

• We have a nagging loop tape that goes over and over again that drives us insane.

Mental Health Stigma

In this section, the speaker emphasizes on talking about mental health issues. She explains how not talking about mental health issues can lead to more people getting ill in the upstairs department.

Mental Health Issues

• If we don't talk about mental health issues and learn how to deal with our lives, it's not going to be one in four but four in four who are really going to get ill in the upstairs department.

• The speaker urges people to stop the stigma around mental health.