A Humanistic Approach Towards Mental Illness

Re: # 2
dear urstruly...thanks for your ideas about `respect` and `humane`. keeping semantics aside

in my opinion both attitudes overlap. i agree with you that when someone is sick they

need to be treated humanely and not expect a reciprocity but when their symptoms are in

control and they are functioning well then mutual respect will be a realistic expectation.

I have a few schizophrenic patients who are doing so well that their colleagues do not know

they see me and take regular medications. Sometimes such patients suffer because of

the prejudiced policies of the organizations. Humane treatment of psychiatric patients would

be a great social achievement and can be achieved with education.

...sincerely sohail

I don`t thhink that the people with schizophrenia, for example, are capable of grasping the concepts such as, ``respect``. I think their mental faculties cannot even conrol their biological selves very well. My contention is purely academic and should not be construed as that the mental patients are fair game for anyone. My contention is that common people should be educated to treat them differently from ordinary human beings. For example, the concept ``respect`` has reciprocatory connotations; and if we educate a common citizen to give ``respect`` to a schizopherenic, then practically it would amount to nothing, except frustration. On the other hand if an ordinary citizen is educated to be humane to menatl patients then its would be more productive since being humane has no reciprocatory connotations.

As far as ``respect` to schizophrenics is concerned our culture do promote the concept of ``Allah lok, or SaiN Lok``, which at least helps them survive. But I think it must change.

Masterly perspective on the issue Dr. Sohail!