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Cleo Runge

Prof. Kretzer

English 1201 Online

20 January 2019

Research Proposal

I have been dealing with anxiety issues ever since elementary school. When my mother

first noticed my sudden uneasiness, she started taking me to see a specialist on a regular basis.

As a young child, the only thing I could comprehend about my current state was that I “had

trouble with worries” sometimes. It wasn’t until I was about thirteen when I learned that what I

have is considered a form of OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. At the time, I was a bit

baffled; I thought that having OCD simply meant that one would always have a need for neatness

and order. This is actually not the case, as OCD is one of the most varied mental disorders out

there, and can show up in significantly different ways from person to person. Some sufferers

may be hoarders, some may be germaphobes, some may have disturbing thoughts, and so on.

Ever since that moment, I have developed a fascination for learning about mental health.

Whenever a class project provides the opportunity for me to study a topic of my choice,

my first choice is usually something related to psychology or mental health. I once focused on

researching OCD for a huge English assignment because I wanted my peers to understand how it

works. Through this research, I have actually learned that OCD is one of the most commonly

misunderstood mental disorders in this day and age. Given the amount of times I’ve heard people

joke about “being OCD” simply because they are fond of cleanliness or symmetry, I can

certainly see how this statement holds true. After gathering tons of knowledge on OCD alone, I

hope to learn about a wide variety of mental illnesses and help convey the truth to the public.
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It saddens me to see the lack of knowledge about mental illness in today’s society.

Despite the abundance of people suffering from common disorders, such as anxiety and

depression, there are still countless misconceptions about mental health and its effects. I think the

way the media presents mental illness, whether it’s a news article or a TV show, may be one of

the leading factors in why people have come to misunderstand it. Considering how often we are

exposed to different forms of media, it has likely influenced people’s views on sensitive subjects

on pretty much a daily basis. I believe that it is important to be well informed about mental

disorders because it makes it easier to help those who suffer from one. Mental health is just as

important as physical health, so having easily accessible and accurate information on it will

benefit both the sufferers as well as friends and family members wanting to help. I already know

that mental health is an ever growing issue to this day, and people who struggle with it often do

not know how to go about treating it. I also know that false representations of anything in the

media, mental disorders included, can often lead to backlash and criticism.

During my research, I am hoping to find out about the best and worst portrayals of

mentally ill patients in the media and how audiences reacted to them. I would like to know about

the biggest misconceptions regarding common mental disorders in the U.S., and the extent of

how popular culture has contributed to these ideas. I am also wondering how the issue of fake

news has correlated to the widespread misunderstanding of mental disorders. I plan on finding

answers to these questions by reading articles dedicated to psychology and mental health, while

also analysing books and movies containing characters suffering from mental illnesses.