Bedlam, or
Bethlem Royal Hospital, is the oldest mental hospital in Europe. Located in the United Kingdom, it is as the name
suggests a symbol of the worst that mental health treatment historically
offered. Bedlam, meaning “uproar and
confusion” (courtesy of Wikipedia) has a long and storied history. In the days of Bedlam, the mentally ill were
restrained with chains and held in the worst of all possible conditions. Of course, we have made some progress since
those days. But we need to acknowledge
that the changes in the way that the mentally ill are treated were not fast in
coming. And we are still battling the
impact of the stigma on the treatment of the mentally ill. If you research the connection between
accusations of being in control of the devil or being a witch, it is possible
to find examples in modern times of people being accused in this day and age.
People are
not comfortable with people who are not capable of behaving within predictable
norms. That seems almost
reasonable. Mentally ill people are not
always predictable. And for those not
educated about the biochemical reasons for mental illness, it seems foreign and
therefore, uncomfortable. We are living
in an extraordinary time. More is known
about mental illness than at any other time in history. We ‘get’ the reasons. We know more about how to treat it. And we are capable of providing more humane treatment. So, we are living in a time in which our
knowledge base can be used to deal with the age-old prejudices and judgments. We have the tools to fight the stigma.
So, what is
the point of this conversation? We have
progressed. We have the capability of
changing beliefs. We have the capability
of changing the course of a life impacted by mental illness. And we can heal family relationships and work
on the social acceptance of those dealing with mental illness. If you think about the ways that the mentally
ill have historically been treated, this is nothing short of amazing. All I can say is THANK God!
If you are dealing with mental illness, there
are options out there for you. While we
still struggle to make treatment accessible, there is knowledge. And I believe that with further education and
recognition of the issues, we can make treatment more available than it has
ever been before. I am doing my part to
move this process forward. I believe
that blogging about the impact of mental illness makes it more understandable
for people who don’t understand. And I
think that YOU have a lot to contribute in this area. I encourage you to share your
experience. The most empowering way to
help people understand is to share experiences. I invite you to start writing. Or to challenge the stigma and share with
people in your life. Take a risk. Even baby steps are a huge thing. Become known. You will never know how much healing can be out there for you until you
take the risk.
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