XN000022-1985-05-02 — Page 13

12

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1985

GREATER EMPHASIS WAS BEING PLACED ON DEVELOPING THE PATIENTS' DAILY LIVING SKILLS, WORK HABITS AND A POSITIVE APPROACH TO FILL LEISURE HOURS.

MR LEWIS SAID THAT THE BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCK IN REHABILITATIO . WORK WAS THE PUBLIC'S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL ILLNESS, WHICH OFTEN LED TO FEAR AND ANXIETY,

VIOLENCE WAS NOT THE PREROGATIVE OF THE EX-MENTALLY ILL, HE POINTED OUT.

+THE CAPACITY FOR VIOLENCE EXISTS IN EVERYONE, BOTH THE SANE AND THE MENTALLY ILL. SO MENTAL ILLNESS SHOULD NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH DANGEROUS BEHAVIOUR.+

+ INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS TELL US THAT ONE IN NINE OF US AT SOME STAGE IN OUR LIVES REQUIRE TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS OF SOME SORT OR ANOTHER. SO WHY SHOULD REHABILITATION OF THE EX-MENTALLY ILL BE OPPOSED, WHEN MENTAL ILLNESS IS SO WIDESPREAD?+ HE ASKED.

+ HOWEVER, THE LOUDEST MESSAGE IS THIS: THE EX-MENTALLY ILL ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE SEEKING TO BECOME GOOD, THEY ARE MERELY SICK PEOPLE TRYING TO GET BETTER, AS WITH ANYONE WHO IS SICK, THEY MUST BE GIVEN ASSISTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING, HE SAID.

+AND IF ANY OF US IN THIS ROOM WERE ONE OF THE NINE, I FEEL CERTAIN THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU WOULD WANT, AND I HOPE THAT THAT IS WHAT THE OTHER EIGHT WOULD GIVE YOU.+

THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY MADE A +DETERMINED START+ IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE EX-MENTALLY ILL AND HALF-WAY HOUSES, MR LEWIS POINTED OUT, +BUT THE MORE THE MESSAGE IS SPREAD, THE MORE THE PUBLIC WILL REALISE AND UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS.+

+WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO MAKE A SUSTAINED IMPACT, HE SAID.

/13