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Watch this everyone

 
Chrissy 2019-10-13 14:36:19 

Unbelievably accurate

I was in tears after watching and listening to this amazing articulation of a serious societal problem.

 
trev114 2019-10-13 15:57:25 

He is so brilliant and articulate....with the proper help could reach any height he wants...
All the politicians should watch this!

 
Chrissy 2019-10-13 16:01:31 

In reply to trev114
And not just politicians - fellow citizens

 
hubert 2019-10-13 16:41:26 

In reply to Chrissy

Profound presentation. Yes everyone should give a listen, appraise themselves of the issues emoted and explained here.
I enjoyed his poem and more so an effective delivery that should impact everyone who listens.
Thanks for this Chrissy, I hope Jamaicans and others listen,understand and do something positive .
This young man has been to a very dark place and has shown a bright light on a world wide human condition.

 
Oilah 2019-10-13 17:18:19 

In reply to Chrissy

Deep emotional and very needed

 
Oilah 2019-10-13 17:26:46 

Mental health needs to come out of the shadows and we need to erase the taboo nature of the subject. Things have improved but we got a long way to go.

 
np 2019-10-13 18:13:24 

In reply to Chrissy

Profound arguments with good examples and deep personal insights.
This is the kind of person the authorities could/should utilize in helping other folks suffering these similar issues to cope, survive in some form of mentoring role.

I hope he makes more progress with these efforts to highlight the ISSUES.

 
JayMor 2019-10-13 18:23:31 

In reply to Chrissy

Profound! He did a wonderful job. Oh how I hope that something can/will be done. We cannot continue the way we are about mental illness.

--Æ.

 
StumpCam 2019-10-13 18:40:25 

Thumbs Up! If I weren’t aware enough, he made me more aware now than ever of people’s plight! cry

 
Ewart 2019-10-13 19:16:34 

This is deep. Unexpectedly enlightening. Brilliant. And painful. I am left woke to an affliction I thought I knew something about but which brings me back to Alexander Pope's rhyming couplets:

A little learning is a dangerous thing
Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.


I have had two close relatives who were diagnosed schizophrenic, both no longer with us, so I recognise the problem or aspects of it. But this........ this man from Red Hills, Morant Bay, a place I know well since I once lived in Morant Bay, has so well ripped the curtain away from the malady that I am plunged into a depth of near understanding I could not have experienced otherwise.

There is no doubt that this message is resounding and will continue to resound far and wide. 'For then we saw through a glass, darkly; but now face to face,' as Sean holds the mirror right up before us. From which we are deeply moved and for which we thank him profusely.

//

 
Chrissy 2019-10-13 19:55:00 

Yes indeed - great responses.
Profound is the word.

 
Courtesy 2019-10-13 19:55:48 

In reply to Chrissy

Thanks for sharing. Many lessons to be learnt here.

 
Chrissy 2019-10-13 21:30:04 

In reply to np

Sadly many people in our societies are of the view that 'mad'and 'fool' are synonyms. Nothing is further from the truth. ín fact we need to ban words like mad and discuss mental health issues.

 
np 2019-10-14 00:43:04 

In reply to Chrissy

Clearly so Sis.
The “so-called madman” drew on his personal experience with the disorder and brought to light the experiences of some others and made a deadly matter ALIVE with truths.
This man has skills and someone needs to take him on, in working to assist the local authorities to IMPROVE THE STATE OF MENTAL CARE.

The likes of Hickling and Irons must be made aware of him - if they are not. I’m making a note of sharing this with Aggrey Irons when I see him at an event on Friday.

Thsnks again Sis for sharing.

 
Courtesy 2019-10-14 01:15:32 

In reply to np

Yep. The days for institutionalized care to deal with mental wellness have gone a long time ago. Resources need to be beefed up in the Caribbean which are to be focused on community care.

Obviously, there will be a minority of persons who will need institutional care but the vast majority can be treated and maintained in the community settings on condition that our outreach programmes need to be in tip top shape. Avenues for occupational therapy should be given priority.

The major problem with treating such patients in the community is non-compliance with their meds. Most of those persons relax on medication when they feel well. It's not unexpected because of the adverse effects caused by these anti-psychotic meds in particular, the negative effects on libido for men. That's where a strong community programme comes in. You miss a clinic while in the community and you should be found wherever you are.

Another problem is not having adequately trained personnel to deal with violent patients in the community. This is not a job for the police and if there is no other choice but to use law enforcement then there must be a trained unit within in the Police Force to handle such patients.

I'll end by saying "the test of any nation is how well it takes care of the marginalized and dispossessed."

For too long such persons are treated as outcasts.

 
openning 2019-10-14 02:18:40 

In reply to Chrissy

Thanks for sharing

 
Casper 2019-10-14 03:02:12 

In reply to Chrissy

Thanks Chrissy

 
Chrissy 2019-10-14 09:07:38 

In reply to np

Freddy's touring partner sent it to me lol

 
Emir 2019-10-14 11:14:33 

In reply to Chrissy

Wonderful, thanks for sharing

 
pelon 2019-10-14 13:39:22 

In reply to Chrissy

Wow. Potent. The only thing 'mad' about this gentleman is the society that misunderstands and subjects him to cruelty.


One quickly remembers the genius of Anthony C. Winklers' The Lunatic. Prejudice, ridicule, shame, alienation... this poet is a first person articulation of pain. A window into a reality we sweep under the rug.

THANK YOU Chrissy for this post!!

 
Chrissy 2019-10-14 13:40:55 

In reply to pelon

Agree - Loved The Lunatic - he was actually the most sane person in the book/movie

 
pelon 2019-10-14 13:59:30 

In reply to Chrissy

Precisely!

The purest hearts are with those unable to learn the teachings of hate, discrimination, bigotry. Like you say: most sane.

 
methodic 2019-10-14 14:16:30 

In reply to Chrissy

Thanks,

The communities I grew up in and many of the communities across the Caribbean are still very immature. This is where we emerged from with plenty of talent, some brilliance, major inconsistencies and in my case lots of pride but enough humility to know I/us still have a lot of work to do and a long way to go.

 
goofballs 2019-10-14 14:19:19 

In reply to Chrissy

Thanks for sharing.
Sweet and touching.

First Jamaican I really totally undastan. smile

Over yahso, folks like him are active in various organizations, for example National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) for support and resource to people dealing with mental illness. They actually go to various places including hospitals to talk and share their experiences.
He will serve as as a real example and people tend to listen to those who have been there in their shoes and can really understand/relate to.

Education like "Nuff ah dem wouldda do well with two mad pill."
Educating society. "Mad men" are real people with feelings needing love, compassion,care, structure being meaningfully occupied etc. all of which prevent the "madness from rising" (according to an elderly relative). Unfortunately most are abandoned by families, mocked by society and stoned sometimes for being different, seeing things differently and having various unfounded ideas, convictions like people out to get them, controlled by technology,etc.
Ooops, I wasn't talking about CCC or politicians especially a certain president who all are not really clinically"mad" but otherwise same difference.

He is not "clure(d)" but in remission, like with diabetes, not "clured" as the pathology still there, (dopamine/serotonin brain pathology for schizophrenia or beta cells in pancreas not producing adequate insulin for diabetics) but disease controlled, not active.

My psychiatrist friend said that no way this is schizophrenic because of several factors including abstractability, engageability, affect/exhibiting range of emotions, etc. etc. There is plenty of affective (mood) component.
And INSIGHT.
Casper et al, research project: See how many black males (probably like this chap) were over diagnosed with schizophrenia until a few decades ago because of bias, doctors not wanting to do detailed assessment or history or listen to their patients to elicit symptoms. Any angry looking or vocal black man "had to be schizophrenic" and were put away in those days. Folks without illness, or those with just mania or depression who might have psychotic symptoms only during a manic or depressive episode were wrongfully called schizophrenics.
Anecdotally,in 1980s to 2000 probably every 2 out of 5 black males seen with diagnoses of schizophrenia were not. Most were Bipolar or later on Schizoaffective (hybrid of psychosis and mood pathology). Makes a big difference in prognosis and treatment, worst for Schizophrenia which is a progressive disease.

 
black 2019-10-14 14:25:18 

In reply to Chrissy

People's attitudes about mental illnesses are not going to change until they educated about mental illnesses.

Right now, people just laugh about it.

 
Chrissy 2019-10-14 14:27:17 

In reply to goofballs

Great post bro

 
goofballs 2019-10-14 14:44:58 

In reply to black, chrissy
CCC has been a source of education sometimes.

One out of every 100 Americans has Schizophrenia. We better deal with it.
In India 3/1000 individuals probably due to joint family system or communities treating each other as family, keeping an eye on their "different, odd, strange" relatives and putting up with them. ?Under reporting because the illness was not active enough to draw attention from law enforcement, health officials.

ONLY Treatment is biological and works better with community support, not alienation, and having structure during the day. Wait up, at CCC plenty idle people! Only Chrissy and I excused as we retired.

A real good resource, best film on schizophrenia, was A Beautiful Mind.
Unfortunately, I was dragged to the movies last minute not knowing what it was about and spent the first part of the movie caught up in the "spy thriller" only later to realize .....

Everything was so meticulously shown from the way he walked with the Thorazine shuffle, drooling, impotence, med non compliance.
Nash done well. Some schizophrenics have had college degrees but mostly in concrete fields like engineering.

 
black 2019-10-14 15:11:46 

In reply to goofballs

You provided great insights when we did the thread in depression.

Good stuff.

 
goofballs 2019-10-14 15:15:54 

In reply to black

I just peeked in for a jab at Trumpites and 'Crats but saw this very real video.

Education, understanding can shed some light on ignorance (lack of knowledge) and this brother gave a very nice, touching presentation.

 
Chrissy 2019-10-14 15:55:27 

In reply to goofballs

It is moving many folks to tears. I hope positive action follows

 
Chrissy 2019-10-14 16:23:25 

In reply to black
Well then we're in deep trouble - we're already failing the children in terms of teaching math and English

 
goofballs 2019-10-14 16:28:29 

In reply to Courtesy

Great insights, mi fren!
You could write the book. cool

 
Courtesy 2019-10-14 16:34:13 

In reply to goofballs

Thank you sir.

I recall sending a funding proposal to the then German Foundation GTZ for an horticultural project. The outpatients came in during the day and planted (potted plants) a wide variety of flowers which they sold to the various hotels and in the market on a Saturday. It was hugely successful and brought such joy to the out patients.

 
goofballs 2019-10-16 19:11:17 

In other Breaking News.........

Thanks for incentives to stimulate thinking, research, innovation

New treatment modality

Link Text

 
DonD 2019-10-17 00:35:04 

In reply to Chrissy

Just came across this thread. Mr. Harrison is certainly a very impressive person. I would hope that High schools, enlightened churches and even post secondary institutions will see fit to use him as a resource person. In my boyhood days there were only a trickle of mentally ill people I saw on the streets of jamaica . Today, this trickle has become a veritable flood. For most of my professional life, I have had to deal with many students and even teachers who were mentally ill. thankfully, I was always fortunate to have very well trained Counsellors and sufficient govt funds to help these students.

 
Chrissy 2019-10-17 00:49:54 

In reply to DonD

I heard an interview with him om Irie FM early this afternoon. He really is a great resource person.

 
Chrissy 2019-10-17 00:50:48 

In reply to goofballs

Good news