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The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 19, 1996 - AS

lt is our job to understand
people with mental illness

By LILAC ROBINSON
| MENTAL ILLNESS or disease has some theories, No one
knows what causes it. The researchers are unable to find

- answers, Some researchers think it may be partially in-
herlted, environmental or the result of some kind of virus.

The theories that are generally accepted are a predisposi-

» tion or vulnerability to schizophrenia may be passed from
- one generation to generation,

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*

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*

Since it does not occur at birth, it may have to do with an
age-specific hormonal: or a developmental trigger is re-

: quired for schizophrenia to occur.

The first thing most important is that people so afflicted

> are nol crazy or insane, These peaple with mental discase

> cannot be cured by a psychoanalysis.

It is not the family’s fault, the result of past illness or of
injuries, It is not the person’s fault. They need to be. treated

: with respect just like any other people with other diseases.

Do not-talk behind their backs-or act as if they are nol

"there. Most mentally ili people do not like to be considered
’ Sick or talked down al,

4
«

Their behaviour is just the signs and symptoms of their
illness.

There are some overlap of signs and symptoms in either

| the schizophrenic. or manic depressive disorder. They have

a chemical imbalance in their brain.

Hallucination is thinking that they are bearing or secing
things that are not there.

Delusion is irrational beliefs. For example: The Martians

"are spying on me.

Flainess of emotions is like they are not fceling any emo-
tion, They do, but cannot express it

Bizarre behaviour is like dressing up in an unusual way
etc,

People who are schizophrenic or diagnosed with manic
depressive disorder and any other mental illness need help.
Do not disagree during their hallucination when very sick
or in their relapse State or they will be more psychotic. Do
not believe in all of their accusation as it may be part of
their delusions also,

Some people think that they are lazy. They are just expe-
ricncing fatigue from their depression, hallucinations or
any other symptoms.

Sometimes they have restless days or sleepless nights
which make them feel tired.

When one {eels like committing suicide, sometimes its
part of their delusion. Do not be afraid to talk to them
about it. It’s hard to understand what they are going
through unless you live it. Some times they are tired of
whal they are going through.

Reassure them that they need to take their medication.
Do not force or demand that they take their medications, as
it may upset them and they would not lake their medica-
tion.

They may lose contro] of their behavior. Most of them do
not recall their reactions. They are not acting the way they
do on purpose.

Since there are different diagnoses of schizophrenia, dif-
ferent medications are tricd. What works for one person
does nat mean it will work on another.

_ I personally feel it is high | time that the communities un- ;

defstand this and not to be fearful or make fun.

There is so much needed to help these people who arc
mentally ill. We must do our part to give the family the
support that they need. We must help by calling the RCMP
when needed, to protect themselves and others.

Most of all, one must not take advantage of them when
they appear to be intoxicated, So mental illness is nothing
to be ashamed off. It is just fike nay other illness that we are
not ashamed of.

In some cases, there will be a roller coaster like young
schizophrenics who are in denial. They are gricving for
what might have been.

They are angry at what they have lost. Some may be
thinking that if they forget about it, it will go away.

Others try to treat themselves by drinking and/or taking

_.dtugs. This may be used like an escape, too,
‘The worst’ part is to be tejected by: their caregivers, com- |

munity.

“Double jeopardy is a person who suffers from their dis-
ease thal may terrorize them and are punished by a society
for complex reasons,’ wriles E. Fuller Torren, MD, ‘in
Surviving Schizophrenia,

They fall into the cracks of the system that seem to with-
hold aids to those who necd it most desperately.

In the same book, on the first page, Dr. Torren adds, ‘‘To
be suddenly afflicted with a soa's or daughter’s illness is
‘on the job learning,’ The caregivers necd to be patient and
learn from scratch. They must find out what resources arc
available that will assist them.’’

For more information, ask at the Stepping Stone Club-
house (ph. 635-2283), and at the mental health centre (ph,
638-2202).

Lilae Robinson ts a
counselor with the Circle
of Harmony Healing
Society,

She’s also a worker at
Mills Memorial Hospi-
fal’s psychiatric unit
here in Terrace,

Time for silence has ended

THE FOLLOWING was written by a local
person in response to assault victim
Tammy Fee’s efforts to heighten public
awareness of the problems surrounding
the crime, A request was granted for the
writer's name to remain confidential,

1 COMMEND Tammy Fee on her courage
in bringing to the community of Terrace the
awareness thal atlacks as she has experi-
enced can no longer be considered isolated
or ignored.

Too many times a victim has been kept
the victim, cither by lack of services avail-
able to them, or the inexperience of profes-
sional help, such as counselors. These two
situations were the norm during the recent

" past, and have only improved slightly.

es

ee a ee es

Twenty years ago, I was continually at-
tacked by an individual who, at the time,
seemed to thrive on his power. 1 had no
control over someone who was stronger and
bigger than myself, and, al that time, I did
not have any help.

I was told to-maintain silence during and
after the attacks; something which has con-
tinually been a major deterrent to my own
speaking out...until last year.

Now my healing starts; slowly, but surely,
My choice to disclose all of the sexual
abuse I barely endured was not altogether
conscious. I nearly lost my wife and. child
due to my dangerous attitude toward things
which connected me with the attacks (al-
cohol, the mistrust towards people in gener-
al, and the inability to communicate on any
subject).

It’s easier in this day and age 1o become a
powerful force when attempting to stop
these types of attacks, especially for the
victims, We are encouraged by our friends,
family, and peers to literally fight for our
lives; whereas, even as lale as the 1970s
there was an attitude that what happens in
your own home is your business,

Like I mentioned above, things have

* changed; but slightly. Some people still i in-

sist that these types of attacks are the fault
of the victim,

Nobody really wants to speak of the dirty
deeds done in their won backyard. In my
case, nobody really wants to hear aboul a
inale attacking a helpless child, but that was
the case. ,

Only recently has anyone attempted to un-
derstand what it is like for the survivor of
child sexual abuse; possibly too little, too
late. It is out there in the community of Ter-

‘We are encouraged by our friends,
family, and peers to literally fight for
our lives; whereas, even as late as the
1970s there was an attitude that what
happens in your own home is your
business.’

race.

This is the time for the governments to
really look inlo the lives of victims, and
determine how they can help.

This also has to include the local govern-
ment when attempting to build a bright new
facility which may look good on the out-
side, but more importantly, what gocs on
inside with respect to healthcare,

Some organizations must take note that in
the strictest context of the word, compeli-
tion kills. Why? The victim is altacked; the
attacker is given, at times, more help.. It
may be possible for the viclim to receive
minimal help, but that is determined by
what organization has the most bang for the
buck.

Therefore, the victim continues to seck
help and eventually finds that there is none
to suit his or her necds. Then they give up.

I know, because this happened to me
more than once. Il was only through leaving
Terrace that I found help. Something is
wrong with thal.

I see huge amounts of services available
for various needs, which is great, but the
underlying problem is that there needs to be
prevention education presented to our com-
munity.

We all know that there are problems out
there, bul are we really doing something
about it? Sure, we are...at the intervention
level. This is just as.important in the heal-
ing for it attempts to work with the event al
hand:

What this community needs is a pre-
venlion program which could stop these
types of attacks dead in their tracks.

T teach my son whal is right in all
respects. It could become the community’s
responsibility to teach, through the schools,
what is right and how to approach this
silent epidemic, Not speaking about the
malter‘of sexual abuse (of male or female,
boy or girl) only condones it.

I see enough of the abuses the youth and
children take in this communily; it is quite

possible that we e could do something about

il.

Tammy Fee has taken great strides in at-
tempting this goal, It should be an awaken-
ing to the number of organizations out there
in realizing that the victims cannot do it
alone.

Much like the healing aspect, as spoken
by counselors, ‘“‘You can not do it alone.”’
Commiltees for the protection of children
and youth should consider this ideal, rather
than allempt to recommend change,

‘We know. we need change; but il
shouldn’t be left solely to the victim to
cteate change. That’s what we have govern-
ment ministries for.

Tammy Fee’s determination as a non-

silent. victim could serve as an encouraging

reminder that one does not have to keep to
themselves in these cases.

T look forward io meeting with this lady
and working with hier to encourage other
members: of the community to open their
eyes,

SE
CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD

The Mail Bag

Frustrating? You bet

Dear Sir:

This is a response to Eileen Bruce’s June 12 letter,
“These men get a bad break’? which suggests thal the
killing of women by their cx boyfriends or husbands is
a result of frustration,

Yes, Ms. Bruce, there is a great deal of frustration in
life. For example, imagine the frustration of the 61.9
per cent of single mothers living under the poverty line,
Being a single parent can be frustrating too, and 82 per
cent of single parents are women. And itis very frus-
trating that, even though up to this year they. could
write them off, more than 75 per cent of men across
Canada defaulted on their child support payments.

Ii is also frustrating that ‘the average earnings of
employed women are substantially lower than those of
men, no matter what education level is observed,
Women make only 72 per cent of male counterparts.

Violence can be frustrating, too. Qne in two Cana-
dian women has experienced at least one incident of
male violence after the age of 16 and it is estimated’
that 1 in 6 women lives with a violent partner.

These are all frustrations. Yet we as a society would
be appalled if, because of their frustration, women
killed their non-support paying ex-partners, or women
in low paying jobs blew away their better paid male co-
workers.

Child support payments and maintenance payments
to spouses are court ordered because the court has an
obligation to think of the best interests of the child. The
system you speak of is not perfect, but it is the best sys-
tem we have.

To excuse violence is to assume men are not able to
control their behaviour and should be permitted to live
out their aggressive impulses with no limitation.

: Terrace Women’s Resource Centre,
Terrace, B.C,

Census refusal

Dear Sir:

The recent census contained questions which I refuse
to answer. The following is from the comments sectioa
of my form.

“Bue to my family’s colour and ethnic origin, there
are jabs, subsidies and educational opportunities to
which we are not entitled. I recall Canada expressing
outrage toward another country which did this less than
a decade ago. The colour has changed, bul the racism is
just as real. Yugoslavia is another example of the result
of cultural and ethnic segregation. Since our identity as
Canadians does not guarantee us equal treatment by
our government, are we arrogant enough to believe our
future may not be the same?

I ask for no more, or less than any olher citizen. My
loyalty is to this country and not my ethnic back-
ground, but our present government determines my
rights by the second, ] refuse to participate in questions
which promote this social manipulation.”

Our current federal and provincial governments are
eroding. individual rights and freedoms. which: any
citizen in a democracy has a right to demand. The
legislation of special rights before the Jaw for any
group diminishes the rights of the remaining citizens.
Since equality is always used as the justification for
these laws, I’m amazed these groups don’t see that they
are eroding the society which they desire,
Tom Dimitrov,
Terrace, B.C,

Death’s muddy trail

Dear Sir:

As John Donne so eloquently put it, “‘Any man’s
death diminishes me because ] am involved in
mankind,”’ We are all diminished by the death of Aus-
tin Bastable while apparently in the company of Jack
Kevorkian and the promoter of death, John Hofsess.

Bastable’s death raises troubling questions which are
not being addressed by the media. John Hofsess, who
forged Sue Rodrigucz’s signature for right to die pur-
poses, spent nine days with Bastable before his death.

Would he not have a vested interest in Bastable’s
choosing to dic? Would Bastable; who had taken up the
right to dic cause, now find himself obliged to die in
order not to let his side down? Societal and family
pressure can be very subile. Was Basiable really free to
choose? How will we ever know?

The media circus orchestrated by the Right To Die
Society is proof of how vulnerable people can be
manipulated. Jf Bastable had truly wanted to end his
life, which in Canada, is not a criminal act, he could
simply have refused his food. Bul that would not have
helped Hofsess et al promote an acceptance of death as
a solution to the problem of living.

These death purveyors must be stopped, ‘They are
promoting an attitude in socicty that when things get
tough you bow out. How many more young people will
be encouraged to kill themselves if this thinking gains
currency? How will attitudes toward the disabled, and
the elderly be altered when death is seen as the solu-
tion?

What kinds of pressures, subtle or otherwise, will be
put on the disabled to get out of the way because they
are a burden to us and we don’t want to sce them, or be
with them? Are we telling people, as did the Nazi phi-
losophers, that there is such a thing as a life not worthy
to be lived?

It is past time to get serious about those promoting
this drift to a socicly of death dealing. Those who did
the criminal acts of aiding, abetting, or counseling Aus-
tin Bastable should be investigated and charged.

It remains true that hard cases make for bad laws. In
this case itis the Right to Dic Society which chooses to
exploit hard cases to-strike down the law. which from
time immemorial has protected the vulnerable. It is ir-
responsible to make death a mere choice.

We can no more have just a litte killing than a
woman can be just a little pregnant, If, as a society, we
condone the killing of Austin Bastable, or Sue
Rodriguez, or Tracy Latimer we may later, as individu-
als in an aging society, be faced with cutbacks,
diminished health care, and a society that thinks you or
J are betler off dead:

In the words of John Updike, ‘Death, once invited
in, leaves its muddy boolprints everywhere."?~ |

Terrace Prolife Education Association,
Jon Buckle and Sharon Vanderlee
"Terrace, B.C,