Ano ang dahilan?

I hope that time will come when the people and the environment in general would stop throwing jokes and insults to people who are crazy mentally ill. I hope that there will come a day when people will realize that not all mentally challenged individuals are capable of causing harm and injury to others. These people have gone through so much, so much to the point that even their own family members disown, neglect, hurt and put them to shame. Isn't it already enough that they have suffered in the hands of their loved ones? Is it their fault in the first place that they have lost contact with reality? Have we ever thought for a moment, before we ridicule them, that they are still human. So, why still prey on them? I really wish for people to break the chain of generalizing and stereotyping. And I dream that one day we can all open our hearts and minds to accept these people in our community. I don't even think we should be afraid of them. They're just some of the people who were played on by the cruelty of society. I think we should be more scared of our own thoughts and unrighteous judgment of other people.

I know that anxiety will always remain present but if we just give a little bit of our time to understand them, to listen to their life stories and give extra effort to touch their lives in the most simple ways...then i think we can appreciate their humanity and our own lives even more. Some of my group's patients in the hospital are victims of rape and abuse and it's so amazing how they've recovered from the trauma to the point that they have gained better insight and judgment of the world.

Also, its just astounding  how much my mentally retarded patient can stir more compassion in the heart of others than any of those people who call themselves normal. Sometimes, I wonder, who should we really consider crazy?

This post is dedicated to J.S., my patient, and all the other mentally challenged people.