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Friday, June 29, 2007

We don't really care about the mentally ill

Alt Tv/Fleet FM Breakfast News
Patients tell of neglect
Former patients in psychiatric hospitals between 1940 and 1992 have given harrowing accounts of neglect and abuse to a special forum set up in 2005. The forum, chaired by Judge Patrick Mahoney, issued its report yesterday and said 493 people attended its sessions, 80 per cent of them ex-patients. Common themes that emerged included physical violence, sexual misconduct and abuse, and a lack of care and compassion. I've always suspected that we really don't care about the mentally ill in this country, out of sight, outta your mind.

10 Comments:

At 29/6/07 1:08 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

'..... and a lack of care and compassion. I've always suspected that we really don't care about the mentally ill in this country, out of sight, outta your mind......'

Will you read your own words and examine your own behaviour.

Will we see a kinder and more compassionate Bomber - I doubt it. Maybe your anger and abuse are signs of troubles of your own so perhaps we should take that into account and treat you with a compasion you rarely show to others.

Love and kisses to all.

 
At 29/6/07 1:40 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
yawn - note not one comment about the way NZ treats the mentally ill.

 
At 29/6/07 2:06 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's hard to believe the apparently surprised reaction to this report when it's been very clear for a long time that NZ has a history of mistreatment of the mentally ill (mental health consumers is actually the correct term nowadays). I've lost count of the number of people who have claimed compensation for the way they've been treated in these places.

It's another disgrace, but I'd still rather live here than anywhere else in the world.

NS

 
At 29/6/07 9:22 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its not way 'NZ' treats the mentally ill its what each of us does, that includes you Bomber.

We absolve ourselves from responsibility by blame, in this case lets blame ‘NZ’, whatever that means. You could start by improving your own attitudes and contributing something yourself Bomber, or is it easier and more comfortable to keep a safe distance and blame ... ‘NZ’.

Perhaps you are considering a career in mental health, I couldn't do it but I admire those who can and do.

 
At 29/6/07 11:18 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a schizophrenic and I've been through the mental health system.
In my experience there was no abuse although at one stage I was forcibly injected with some unpleasant chemicals for what I could see was no good reason.

I often think up pithy statements expressing resentment towards what i've been through in the system. But basically the doctors and people in the psyche system are 'okay'. Oh there was one guy who was a bit of a freak, a nurse. He seemed enraged and injected my ass after he found out that I had asked a doctor if he was a paedophile while I was in the 'secure ward'.

Before my incarceration, i was homeless and very mobile around the city and I would describe myself as naieve.

Now, after my treatment, I am very isolated from society and I would describe myself as grumpy and afraid to go out, in contrast to my high mobility before hand.

Things are quite good in the psyche system nowadays. This is in contrast to the days of lobotomization and sterilization some of which was going on to within the last 30 years i think.

These days they do take care of people in the psyche system, and I believe the government funds this system because it helps to control what society is and what political ideas fester in the minds of the general population.

 
At 30/6/07 11:27 am, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Its not way 'NZ' treats the mentally ill its what each of us does, that includes you Bomber.

We absolve ourselves from responsibility by blame, in this case lets blame ‘NZ’, whatever that means. You could start by improving your own attitudes and contributing something yourself Bomber, or is it easier and more comfortable to keep a safe distance and blame ... ‘NZ’.

Perhaps you are considering a career in mental health, I couldn't do it but I admire those who can and do.


and perhaps you are considering a career in pop psychology 101, I am on the board of trustees for youthline nz and work for many not for profit organisations, I can't see how posting my opinions on a blog suddenly defines me as a 'comfortable safe distance blamer'.

 
At 30/6/07 5:02 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh Bomber you are soooooo goooood, don't you just love those committees, tea and biscuits all round and something to brag about as well.

All bluster and no achievment.

 
At 1/7/07 12:50 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sitting on boards and committees ..... how quaint, sweet, safe, condescending and useless, other than being very good for the sitters self-esteem and self importance.

Rather reminds me of people who ‘pray’ for people. Makes the arrogant and sanctimonious feel really good about themselves, does nothing for their victims of course. The God Delusion meets The Do-Gooder Delusion.

Those who actually work in difficult jobs rarely have the time or energy left for committees, they do not talk.

So you have a problem with psychology, hope you are in consultation with NZ universities and government about that, or is it just the ‘pop’ that you hate. Elitists never approve of anything popular or widely accessible do they. You need to keep the masses beneath you to keep yourself feeling so important and superior, you can’t bear to think anyone you look down on might know something.

Keep the committees going, the lower orders are far to simple and dim to understand anything that isn’t ‘pop’ and need your gracious help and charity. We can’t survive with our betters telling us what we need, what to think and what to do. I hope you find us (well most at least) appropriately grateful and deferential. Still when we get uppity and dare to question your infallibility just dump us, there are plenty more potential clients out there who will give you what you so desperately need.

In the unlikely event you ever decide to actually do something real, like a police, mental health, medical or teaching career (not at Kings) then you might earn some credibility and I would be interested in hearing how front-line reality compares to your theories. You might even find yourself amongst genuine decent, hard working, people who are doing their best and sometimes achieve something, now that would burst your bubble of contempt.

 
At 1/7/07 3:24 pm, Blogger Bomber said...

...
Oh Bomber you are soooooo goooood, don't you just love those committees, tea and biscuits all round and something to brag about as well.
All bluster and no achievment.

Sigh - I just can't seem to win this one can I? You suggest I have no compassion and don't contribute, I say that I do this and that and those things you trivialise as not real enough and then accuse me of bragging. You don't have any idea how much amazing work Youthline does in the community and I'm humbled by its members strength of sense by manning the coal face of some of societies pain and hurt. How you manage to twist that all around to such a bitter appraisal of me as a person says more about you than me, oh and let's not forget this touching endeavor for President of my fan club...

Sitting on boards and committees ..... how quaint, sweet, safe, condescending and useless, other than being very good for the sitters self-esteem and self importance.

Rather reminds me of people who ‘pray’ for people. Makes the arrogant and sanctimonious feel really good about themselves, does nothing for their victims of course. The God Delusion meets The Do-Gooder Delusion.

Those who actually work in difficult jobs rarely have the time or energy left for committees, they do not talk.

So you have a problem with psychology, hope you are in consultation with NZ universities and government about that, or is it just the ‘pop’ that you hate. Elitists never approve of anything popular or widely accessible do they. You need to keep the masses beneath you to keep yourself feeling so important and superior, you can’t bear to think anyone you look down on might know something.

Keep the committees going, the lower orders are far to simple and dim to understand anything that isn’t ‘pop’ and need your gracious help and charity. We can’t survive with our betters telling us what we need, what to think and what to do. I hope you find us (well most at least) appropriately grateful and deferential. Still when we get uppity and dare to question your infallibility just dump us, there are plenty more potential clients out there who will give you what you so desperately need.

In the unlikely event you ever decide to actually do something real, like a police, mental health, medical or teaching career (not at Kings) then you might earn some credibility and I would be interested in hearing how front-line reality compares to your theories. You might even find yourself amongst genuine decent, hard working, people who are doing their best and sometimes achieve something, now that would burst your bubble of contempt.


Whoa that is a lot of resentment in one post, you feel better that is all out there, need a hug? I'm not sure such a septic reading of my criticism over NZers attitudes towards the mentally ill is suddenly a declaration of bourgeois elitism on my behalf. Are you certain you aren’t projecting some educational insecurities on your part?

I still think that we don’t care about our mentally ill and that the resources needed to fund the kind of care we should expect in a first world country are not being pumped into mental health, and that the people who do work in the sector need much more support than they currently do, I’m not sure how that sentiment makes me the enemy of the working classes.

 
At 1/7/07 4:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you run out of suitably deferential and grateful NZ’ers there is always the greatest Golden Goose of them all .... AFRICA.

 

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