This is an article about what Rosa Montero considered a truism: evil and mental illness have nothing to do. But the obvious is not easily permeate our society when messages alarmist and lurid flood the media. Cris says
Radio Nicosia, in the program's window Cadena Ser (you can hear by clicking on the link to add it to the end), something like that man is afraid of himself, which is more comfortable place aberrancy, load out and make the madman with the weight of all that we do not want to take as our own.
I wonder if in fact the evil is only one chance in thousands, a desperate choice or not, a further feature of the human being stripped of their humanity, an exit to nowhere or to obscure and dark places.
And, although be afraid, would be more fair to acknowledge that evil can be anywhere, in small quantities when compared with kindness, but anywhere ...
few weeks ago, a young man threw the Madrid subway routes to a girl who lost a leg as a result. A terrible and frightening event that has been aired ad nauseam in newspapers. From time to time happens in our country and aggression, a serious incident caused by a person with mental illness. If you review the files, it could verify that these violent acts are rare fatally. But so saturated for so long the media would seem that crazy misnamed constitute a major threat to our society.
The reality, however, is quite different. Every day, supposedly normal people commit horrible acts of various kinds: men who beat their wives to death, burning alive thugs beggars and immigrants parents who viciously abuse their young children, pedophiles who abuse children; thugs who kidnap and beat up foreign and forced into prostitution ... To mention only some of the many atrocities that happen everyday in our society. As in Spain there are 800,000 people with mental health problems, it seems that the percentage of violent acts committed by this group is very small compared to the crimes of other citizens.
Please do not add grief, our prejudice, suffering acute mental illness. Psychosis is a serious and chronic condition, but well treated and well integrated into their environment, patients can live a normal life. The trouble is that these circumstances, good treatment, good integration, there are few times, just because society and degrades rejected because it prevents them from being people. Input, we call them crazy. Or schizophrenia. Or psychotic. As if there were more than that, as if the disease had eaten all his being, destroying his personality. However, if someone has a malignant tumor that we do not say it is a cancerous, but a cancer patient. That's the first thing to get: respect for the sick person, that has not disappeared, which still exists behind his illness, his will, his dignity, his intelligence. If society is more respectful to the mentally ill, no doubt they would respect themselves more and be more supported and motivated to continue treatment for fight against evil, self-love and care.
Parents of these patients (and especially mothers, because men often throw in the towel and go home) know well the state of abandonment and helplessness in which they are both patients and their families. Of course we need more day centers, outpatient services where patients can receive medication and some socialization. But that, though aid is not enough. Not enough parking during the day in isolated centers and special to entertain themselves doing manual labor. Make an effort to change our mindset and stop marginalizing the mentally ill. For failure to stir up the specter of fear, as every time an incident occurs, and offer a real possibility of social integration. There are some organizations such as the formidable INTRAS Foundation, which promotes re-educated professional and reintegration of these patients. And in 2002, was launched in Spain REdES interesting project, which is to provide employment for people with chronic mental illness in the area of \u200b\u200bnew technologies. Since then, three patients, Mamen, Edward and Lucy, are dedicated to creating and maintaining web pages. Regularly take their medication, have developed their ability to live together, are well integrated in the world and are bright, competitive and efficient in their work. They are, in short, whole persons, whether enfermas.INTRAS, networks and other such international initiatives show that the true integration of the mentally ill is not a dream or a story proactive and sweetened. Since then, the process is not easy and not just because it is a serious and complex disease, but also and above all, by the thickness of our prejudices, ignorance and indifference of so-called normal. To change society we must begin by changing yourself: for example, not use the word crazy thoughtlessly. And do not forget that behind the disease still exist people. "
Clicking on this link you can listen to Radio Rosa Montero and Nicosia in the program's window Cadena Ser
article introduced by Rosa Montero Esther Sanz (Clinical Psychologist Mental Health External Area Tenerife)
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