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Every individual, I think we can agree, has a nuanced perspective on life. No two stories are exactly alike. I feel that when we try to 'cure' mental health problems like schizophrenia or depression with pills or therapy we are not trying to help an individual understand his or her unique story, but rather turn them into functioning members of society. Yes we focus on the symptoms but the problem, I don't think, is the 'disorder' itself but rather the inability to function within conventional notions of normality.

We throw a 'cure' at people who need one to function in our world, but have we fixed the problem? Are they still lonely, perhaps, after taking Xanax? Those creative geniuses we mention are success stories because, at a certain level, they were still capable of functioning within society. The others, the homeless people, the people in institutions, they are not and for that reason our main goal is to deal with the behaviours that prevent them from being a part of the mainstream.

I feel that this question of 'function' really deals with what we have been grappling with this semester and at the end of the day sums up how we could potentially change the mental health system. If we focus on the story teller then we are able to appreciate each individual experience for what it is and help every person reach a place where they can grow/learn/thrive to the best of their ability. If we focus on function, then we deal with external behaviours in order to make sure that individuals can experience a 'normative' reality. Or even, is it possible to focus on both without one overriding the other? How do we need to change to make that happen?