“How do they know to move out of the way of vehicles? How do they know to run when they have aggravated someone and the person wants to get them? They well know what they doing!” the Government employee added.
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A mentally challenged woman
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There are others who agree that those who they see on the street are mentally challenged but it was completely avoidable.
“They are crazy but it is because of drug use why they are like that,” a taxi driver offered.
“A lot of them do smoke ‘spranga’- weed laced with cocaine- and then they lose it,” he added.
Yet another opinion was offered, completely blaming the so called “craziness” on worthlessness.
“They are worthless! They just don’t want to work so they pretend to be crazy and stay on the road and beg all the time. The Government needs to get them off the road because they are hampering the tourism industry and other business sectors,” another taxi man was quick to point out.
Some of the mentally challenged were even interviewed in an effort to determine the cause of their break down and it was rather amazing to hear of the things that they said.
One young man said he was actually the brother of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil Douglas and provided a number at which to contact him, which he said was provided him by the Prime Minister.
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This person is assumed to be mentally challenged
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Another, when asked what was bothering him, proceeded to unleash a slate of expletives.
Evidently, their responses definitely suggest that these people need help.
Dr. Sharon Halliday provided some invaluable insight into mental illness. She oversees the Psychiatric Ward of the Joseph N. France General Hospital.
Dr. Halliday quickly dispelled the common saying “once crazy, always crazy” and emphasized that social services are critical in the treatment of mental illness.
She further noted that the Psychiatric Ward’s main objective is to stabilize mentally challenged persons as soon as possible.
Dr. Halliday disclosed that mental illness could be grouped in five areas- biological, sociological, psychological, cultural and religious- and said that in most cases there is a chemical imbalance.
She also revealed that there are a number of things that can trigger the imbalance, including rape, the death of a loved one, trauma, as in the case of the 9/11 terror attacks and the loss of valuables.
In a quick evaluation of the mentally challenged on the island, she noted that it is possible to put them in three categories- those who are mentally ill, the dual diagnosis patients and those who are just lazy.
The mentally ill are those who generally leave people alone and have distinguishing traits such as carrying many bags and wear many rings etc.
~~Adz:Right~~ The dual diagnosis patients are those who are not only mentally ill but, have a substance abuse disorder as well. These tend to be aggressive she noted.
The lazy ones are those who refuse to work but want money to support their bad habits such as drug or alcohol.
The doctor emphasized that there are treatment for mental illness and reiterated that social support, especially in the case where someone responsible is available to administer the needed medication, is critical for the reversal of the mental disability.
More of what Dr. Halliday revealed will be made available in second part of the investigation into mental illness.
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