Letter: Mental illness needs to be understood

Although advancements in the diagnosis, treatment and acceptance of mental illnesses in the world have been beneficial to the growth of our society, it still is perhaps one of the least understood problems we face. Oftentimes, mental illness is considered just someone’s lack of personal discipline, and therefore deemed to be the victim’s fault. In reality, mental illness results from genetic abnormalities, the brain changing to cope with environmental factors, or a combination of both.…