THE MEDIA AND PROPAGANDA

To be a victim is to be adversely affected by a force or agent. When an individual is victimized by someone with mental illness, society views the offender as 100% evil. Honestly, I can understand the abrupt judgment, but isn't mental illness a force out of one's power? This would make the criminal (in this case) a victim. So here are a few reasons why we as a society can not clearly make this distinction:

1. We do not educate the public about mental illness.

2. The media jumps at the chance to sensationalize any criminal act made by a person with mental illness

3. The act is viewed as something within the person's control

Here are some FACTS about violence and mental illness that may help society form a more accurate opinion:

1. 95% of all murders are committed by SANE individuals (people who are aware of their actions)

2. 95% of those with a mental disorder have NO HISTORY of violence

3. Individuals with schizophrenia are far more likely to harm themselves than others

Why are these facts kept from the public? Well, the media has one agenda: to shock the public. They know that stories about mental illness and violence have an instant shock value. The result: ignorance and fear. So much damage has been done that it will take years to strip away the stigma. I believe the next generation has a chance to embrace this topic, but for now, I am not so confident that the adult generations will give truth a chance. People tell me that I cannot change everyone's opinion. However, I do think that education/art can inspire empathy.

Propaganda has silenced millions of those trying to recover from a mental disorder. It makes me really sick. Those stories we hear about in the news (i.e. "The Canadian Greyhound Bus Beheading") are all part of the media's agenda to SELL FEAR. I will stop rambling and give you a real life example. I came across a story about the man (Vince Li, who has schizophrenia). He beheaded another man, Tim McLean, on a Greyhound bus. My heart truly goes out to Tim (and his family) for he had to loose his life in such a horrific way. I might want to add that this could have been prevented if Li was medicated. What makes me even sadder is what Li told the police: 

""God told me to do it. Otherwise it would come back to life very quick and kill me. So I cut it up to make sure he couldn't come back to life ... God told me to cut off his head, so I did." After that, with blood smeared on his face from the attack, he politely apologized to police and pleaded with officers to take his life."

I remember one time my brother had told me that if he ever acted out any of the voices commands that we should kill him. This seemed so very terrifying to me because I understood how horrific and real the voices seemed to him. 

Now to the public, this story must seem unbelievable and horrible. But instead of dwelling on the obvious, why can't we deal with the cause and try to prevent it in the future. If we started to eliminate stigma, more individuals might seek treatment. I think the public needs to know what it is like to deal with schizophrenia everyday (recovered or not). I want them to see the adversity these individuals face everyday with their illness/stigma. They need to know what it is like for the family members who witness the pain and suffering. This side of the story is NEVER told and it desperately needs to be. Stigma will continue to thrive as long as propaganda overpowers the truth. 

Here is how the same story was posted on the blog and I included some of the fearful responses (there were SO many to choose from): 

"Remember The Canadian Greyhound Bus Beheading??? The murderer was just found not guilty by reason of insanity! He will be sent to an institution, without serving any jail time, and will be mentally evaluated every year. If and when he is deemed "sane" again, the murderer will be released."

Responses:

"Rediculous. The laws definitely need to be changed. If someone is mentally unstable and commits crimes, I believe that is EVEN MORE reason to put them behind bars. I believe that they should build a prision or make a section of a prision dedicated to mentally unsound criminals. If someone is "crazy" enough to behead someone and not "realize" they are doing it, they need to stay out of society! PERIOD!!!

"As a Canadian it makes me sick to live in a country were this is ok, As long as you inhabit some form of mental problem (Depression, schizophrenia…) ur actions are not your own.
This idiot was taking meds already and he went off them when the voices told him too and so he goes and kills a kid. now he is being treated in the same way, given a hand full of drugs to keep him hush hush for a while and then release him again !"

"Lock him up in a straight jacket and a muzzle. didn't he eat part of his victim ? SICK!" I agree with you that mental illness is serious but it was his responsibility to get treatment so that this would not happen. Because he did not get treatment, it is now his responsibility for being negligent"

"The crack heads that ride the bus to stay warm are one thing, but those with weapons obviously of the intent to preform a butcher are a different story. By the sounds of what went around shortly after the incident, to the conflicting psychological examinations, this man sounds crazy yes, but he KNEW what he was doing and KNEW that it was wrong… he stabbed this kid that was sleeping! For no reason except he was the closest victim!"

These types of responses are based on fear. What these individuals don't know is that they probably encounter many people with mental illness everyday. They may not know it because they are so used to the fabricated image that the media has created. I apologize for the long post but I would love to hear what you think!

DOCTOR INAPPROPRIATELY DIAGNOSES JOAQUIN PHOENIX WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WITHOUT EVER MEETING HIM

I don't even know where to begin. I am upset that a well know psychiatrist would publicly diagnose Joaquin  with a mental disorder without ever meeting him. I mean ethically, this doctor should have his license removed. From what I have read, no doctor can diagnose a patient with schizophrenia unless he/she has exhibited symptoms (from a criteria) for at least six months. It's bad enough that this doctor would attempt to convince the public that Joaquin is suffering from a mental disorder but the worst part, he has succeeded in fueling stigma. If you haven't already heard about this story, Paul Dobransky — a relationships expert and author of The Secret Psychology of How We Fall in Love (maybe he's trying to sell more books) — told the Los Angeles Times:

"I am NOT Dr. Drew, and thus cannot diagnose any drug-related abuse problems. If he is on drugs, he needs DR.DREW; however, after observing Joaquin Phoenix, it is apparent he is schizophrenic. Schizophrenia causes DELUSIONAL THINKING, LACK OF EMOTION, POOR HYGIENE, PARANOIA COMBINED WITH TICKING OF THE SPEECH, AND THIS PSYCHOTIC DISORDER CAUSES LOSS OF OR A SPLIT FROM REALITY. I believe Joaquin Phoenix needs medical attention." For the fans that adore him, they need to focus on the solution. Joaquin has plainly stated, "This is not a hoax."

And I got to be honest, but Phoenix’s rep, Susan Patricola, was on the money with her response:

“How absolutely inappropriate for a doctor who has no personal interaction or relationship with someone to diagnose them [...] And to do so in a public forum [...] Hope they spelled his name right. Another 15-minute ‘expert’ is born!” (mtv.com)

What we have here is yet another example of how this illness is so misunderstood. When a doctor makes a claim like this, most people (who are not very educated about mental illness, and I say this because it is true) assume that it is true if it came from a doctor. This doctor has also shown that it's OK to judge others and claim that they have a mental disorder simply because of their behavior. Can I tell someone that they have a stomach ache? Dobransky has succeeded in creating an inaccurate image of mental illness (long beard, speech problems, acting out of the ordinary). We rarely see a realistic representation of schizophrenia (other than a handful of movies). When will we start representing recovery? It will take more than my a grass roots cause but I will keep trying to find creative ways to reach the public. Well, what I think is that this doctor should be reprimanded by making a public statement in which he apologizes for his claim and should educate the public about schizophrenia. This would be a very good opportunity to put to rest some of the myths & stereotypes.  

Beyond this story, lets think about WHY everyone is so concerned about Joaquin's behavior. I think he makes it obvious just how consumed our society is with NORMAL. "Sit up straight, comb your hair, don't cause a scene." Haven't we all grown bored with normal? I have. His interview with Letterman just proves how fascinated we are with anything out of the ordinary. Let's embrace our differences and willingness to push the envelope. For all we know, the jokes on us.  

CONTROL: JOY DIVISION

I wanted to share with you yet another story of suicide. I plan to post more about suicide because this topic is often subject to intense scrutiny and judgement. This judgment may be based on someone's inability to understand suicide. 

My husband told me about a movie we simply had to watch called "Control" (trailer seen here). All I knew was that the film depicted Joy Division's rise to fame. The band, formed in 1976, has influenced many former and current musical artists. I personally LOVE Joy Division's music/sound and encourage others to listen. 

"Control", told from the lead singer's point of view, follows Ian Curtis who evidently suffered from depression and epilepsy. His struggles with depression were fueled by a deteriorating marriage. He married quite young. He frequently suffered from seizures, even while on stage. "Curtis's writing was filled with imagery of emotional isolation, death, alienation, and urban decay. He once commented in an interview that he wrote about "the different ways different people can cope with certain problems, how they might or might not adapt"." This is clearly a statement which illustrates his own struggle to cope. 

It's important to point out that Ian's wife, Debrah, had discovered he was having an affair while on tour with his band. He had traveled home to persuade his wife to drop the divorce suit but was unsuccessful. Ian then told his wife to leave him alone in their house until the following day. She later discovered her husband had hung himself in their kitchen. After his death, Ian's bandmates confessed, "I think all of us made the mistake of not thinking his suicide was going to happen. We all completely underestimated the danger. We didn't take it seriously. That's how stupid we were." There were obvious red flags that both Debrah and the band were aware of. However, no one can ever predict if suicide will happen or not. If someone is determined, he/she may never confess thoughts of suicide. 

It is thought that Ian's depression intensified when he failed to balance his marriage with his musical career. He was also failing to cope with his epilepsy (he had violent seizures and was taking medicine). Annik Honeré, who Ian had an affair with, was asked to comment on Joy Division's new album. She replied, "I'm terrified. Don't you understand? He means it." And I (the interviewer) go, "No, he doesn't mean it - it's art. And guess what? He fucking meant it." 

When someone dies from suicide, others may question whether or not they could have prevented it. Family and friends will wonder why their loved one chose to end his/her life. This search for an answer makes it very difficult to find closure. It can be hard to accept that someone was lost due to mental illness or intense emotional turmoil. We can accept that every instance of suicide is never the same and is very personal. When someone dies from a different disease (cancer, stroke, heart attack), people tend to mourn much differently. These types of death appear to be inevitable and out of the person's control. Suicide leaves most puzzled because there is this need to understand a person's choice to end the pain. Some may blame a person for choosing suicide. But can we blame someone for the mental disorder that caused suicide? No! Suicide is a coping mechanism that some may feel is the only way to escape. 

As with any death, suicide requires empathy/understanding, not judgement/criticism. Many family's will deny that suicide was a cause of death. They may say, "it was an accident" or never talk about their lost loved one because the shame is too great to bear. Shame, which at one time engrossed their loved one, can be adopted by a family. Some may even live with this shame/burden for their rest of their lives. In turn, a family will never mourn properly. In some cases these feelings can lead to depression. At times, I believe I may be suffering with a slight case of depression but I try to acknowledge that these feelings will come and go. I just try to cope in a healthy manner. 

Suicide may never be preventable but we can stop judging those who die from it. Mental illness is very real and suicide is the leading cause of death (with this illness). Some may think that suicide is a choice but mental illness, clearly, is not.  

This post may not be based on fact, but I do speak from experience. With suicide, there is no text book to guide you, only human emotion. Thanks for putting up with my strong opinions:)