Posted by Anna Laura on June 18, 2001, at 1:02:11
In reply to future of asylums, posted by juniper on June 17, 2001, at 19:58:10
> I used to frequent this board more, at times when things were going pretty poorly. I'm now in grad. school and (as many who have psychological problems tend to do) studying mental health, and am back to where I received lots of information and support, though now for a different reason. I've been studying about the future of mental health, and wondering specifically about the future of asylums...obviously, our mental health policy is not working (jails are the largest "inpatient" facilities, the many with mental disorders who live on the street). Where is the best place for individuals who have chronic and debilitating mental disorders? Do asylums have a place in America?
> I'm curious as to what the psychobabble community thinks....
>
> Blessings to everyone on the journey,
> JuniperHi juniper,
I'm glad you're doing better. I'm trying to graduate in Psychology also. I've been interested in those studies since my first depression episode of depression took place.(looong time ago).
O.K., i don't want to talk about myself: let's go in the core of the issue instead.
This is might sound weird or crazy, but i believe that the best thing to do with those people is making them interact with others, ("normal" people) even if they apparently can't cope. I think they gotta get used step by step to a life the more normal as possible.
I don't think they should stay in the asylum 'cause it tends to grow them more chronic/ not-reacting/passive and so on.
I'm quite sure of this cause i've been mad also (ever heard about the Coutard Syndrome? ).
I noticed that the more i was between people/in the "real " world, the more i grew better, even if it was far more painful then sitting at home doing little (small jobs) or nothing at all. Ihad a pdoc forcing me to get out in the "real" world: it was scary, but i managed to do that with his help.
The world scared me, it's true; it made my anxiety worse, but i did grow better in the long run.
As far as Asylums are concerned i think it's important for those people having a shelter, a cozy, peaceful place to rest and to feel protected, but i don't think it should be a compulsory thing: no one should be forced, it should be a personal choice instead.
I'm thinking about "open" asylums, places where you can go to or leaving if you wish.
The situation here in Europe it's quite contradictory, apparently asylum being a free-choice, but substantially being some sort of prisons. Here in Italy the situation improved when the "Basaglia law" was passed back in 1980. Basaglia was an italian pdoc who set all the mad people free in the seventies: he discovered terrible situations: people being given ECT as a punishment, tied to their beds FOR YEARS or laying in cage as animals in a zoo and so on. I don't agree with some passages of his philosophical theory though: he believed that mental illness was 100% induced from social/family events. I don't believe that's always true. Even if it was socially induced when the illness developes it's actually physical so that one needs medication. My analogy is the following: if i get ulcer because Mr. X drove me nervous, i won't get cured if manage to get along with Mr. X: i would still have ulcer. Got it?
O.K. this is my humble opinion so far.Good luck for your studies
Anna Laura
poster:Anna Laura
thread:6505
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010611/msgs/6512.html