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MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT?

by KEVIN DRAINEY

image of a yellow bullet Many misconceptions currently exist about Mental Health matters in this and other countries. "Care in the Community" is still thought to have badly let down the patients returned to the harsh, outside world of prejudice and paranoia of the public pre-conceptions of mental health Illnesses. Assuming us all to be axe wielding psychopaths like Jack Nicholson in the 1980 horror film by Stanley Kubrick, "THE SHINING". New research by Manchester University even found an estimated 200 Psychiatric patients die suddenly in hospitals each year.

image of a yellow bullet I use such sweeping generalisations, as an uncaring and critical Media reinforces taboos and misrepresentations of the stigma that persistantly remains regarding mental health sufferers. In my opinion, Psychiatric NHS Treatments are woefully inadequate, who can not honestly say that they may not also be a potential victim to mental illness one day themselves?

image of a yellow bullet It was originally in 1990, at the young age of 23 years old, that I first fell ill with a diagnosed Mental Illness. It could have been attributed to a number of reasons, for example living in poor run down council property on an over-spill estate. Being unemployed for a long period of time and having financial problems. My personal illness was brought on because of some of these reasons but more accurately due to a culmination of factors. In 1988 when I was living in Newall Green, Wythenshawe in a high-rise flat, there was an incident which nearly saw me being killed by two drug addicts who kicked my front door in.

image of a yellow bullet The sad death of my grandmother in the following month and other stress related incidents, burglary for instance. All this went towards my breakdown in November 1990. At this time I found myself under a section three restraining order of six months incarceration in Withington Hospital.

image of a yellow bullet However after this I was out for a five year period before a relapse in May 1996, brought on by personal loss of my Mother the year before, who died on 3rd May 1995.

image of a yellow bullet It was whilst in the system once again that an incident occurred on P1 (The Lock Up Ward) at Withington Hospital, in May 1996. I was not a dangerous individual yet found myself again at the mercy of so called Psychiatric Nurses, some of whom were on a power trip, in my opinion, and not entirely to the well being of those in their care.

image of a yellow bullet On One such occasion I was merely walking around the Ward corridor when I just stated a matter of fact, which was I said, "I am not Mad!" and quite suddenly I was jumped upon by three or four so called professional Psychiatric nurses and forcibly frog marched to one of the dormitories where an injection of God knows what was administered to me via my arse!