More than Just "Different"

          I was able to get a glimpse of what it really feels like to be a patient, especially with a very rare kind of disorder such as “Encephalitis Lethargica.” As mental health advocates and practitioners, we only get to infer about the disorders of patients based on what can be observed-- their affect, gait, reflexes and all things tangible and measureable. But within a patient’s insight, imagine being entrapped in a cage wherein you can see the light, but unable to move and help yourself. With that, I realized that perhaps, the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: 5th Edition) could accurately diagnose patients according to what we can see; but that is only one dimension of the truth.

Pity is not care. They need "genuine understanding" more than "labeling" (diagnosis) and all the medical jargon. 

It is important for us to always remember that humans are bio-psycho-social beings. Therefore, if one is sick, it is not only the physiological system that is affected; it always has a downright negative effect on the psychological and social functioning of the person. Medicine could only do as much as to remedy the chemical imbalance in the brain. But if the other two aspects such as the psychological and social functioning are not given importance, it more likely that the patient will have a relapse. In a simpler sense, it essential to provide encouragement to the human spirit by means of cultivating one’s psyche and building on lasting relationships with other people. If such aspects were adequately fulfilled, it will be easier for people to cope up with problems; hence, less mental disorders.

I smirk out of frustration and angst against people who laugh at persons with disabilities and disorders. Despite their illness, they are still human beings; they can think and feel like we do, only that theirs are more primitive. People need more than what medicine could give as a cure; all the more, they need fellow human beings to lift them up by means of simple kindness or empathy. To be able to experience the simplicity "life" offers  for them is already healing in itself.

Consequently, I realized how we take the “freedom” that we have as normal beings for granted. Perhaps, one of the hidden reasons as to why we have people with disorders, is to make others realize how blessed we are to be given sufficient liberty to live the life we want. It is surprising that these kinds of lessons should come from those who are handicapped, physically or mentally.