Be kind to mentally ill people.

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SarathW
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Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by SarathW »

Be kind to mentally ill people.
The way I understand in the West there is a lot more understanding and sympathy for mentally ill people.
Unfortunately this is not the case in a country like Sri Lanka.
Mentally ill people are disparage and many have a little understanding this as a sickness.

The following story may be disturbing for some people.
Chaturthi Hansika Mallakarachchi (24), who was a third-year undergraduate at the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University of Colombo, died early on Tuesday after being brutally murdered.

“Since 2019 I have been taking medication for a psychotic condition. I started an affair with Chuti in 2020. I didn't tell her that I was taking medicine. But she came to know about it about four or five months ago. Then she wanted to stop our relationship and she did it," the suspect said in his statement.

“After that, she completely changed. She constantly called me Pissa (Crazy or Lunatic). I checked if she had changed because of another relationship. But she had no such connection. I had no doubts about her. I was in pain with her because she always called me Pissa," Chaturanga told the police.
https://www.dailymirror.lk/top_story/I- ... 155-252552
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
pegembara
Posts: 3465
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:39 am

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by pegembara »

Aren't we all kind of mentally ill too? :tongue:
We 'hear' voices in our heads telling us what is right and what is wrong, judging others, planning this and that.
Whether they arise from within or without, the thoughts or' voices' in the form of guidance from parents, teachers, and peers are not that different.
And what about the influence of social media, chat groups, discussion forums like Dhamma Wheel etc? More voices to add.

"What a liberation to realize that the "voice in my head" is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that." - Eckhart Tolle
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
SarathW
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Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by SarathW »

pegembara wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 2:42 am Aren't we all kind of mentally ill too? :tongue:
We 'hear' voices in our heads telling us what is right and what is wrong, judging others, planning this and that.
Whether they arise from within or without, the thoughts or' voices' in the form of guidance from parents, teachers, and peers are not that different.
And what about the influence of social media, chat groups, discussion forums like Dhamma Wheel etc? More voices to add.

"What a liberation to realize that the "voice in my head" is not who I am. Who am I then? The one who sees that." - Eckhart Tolle
[Aren't we all kind of mentally ill too?/quote]
Yes but some are more ill than others. :D
Actually that is why lot of people can't relate to mentally ill people.
Who am I then? The one who sees that
Obviously this is not Buddhism.
This is self view. Buddha taught this as clinging to the mind.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
pegembara
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Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:39 am

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by pegembara »

SarathW wrote: Fri Jan 20, 2023 3:21 am
Who am I then? The one who sees that

Obviously this is not Buddhism.
This is self view. Buddha taught this as clinging to the mind.
Agreed but one step at a time. Like the Normandy beach landing. You have to get to the shingle first before assaulting the fortress.
The knower is a tough nut to crack. Nothing short of the experience of Nibbana/nirodha/cessation is sufficient.

"Who am I" and "the one who sees that" are both just thoughts/fabrications!
Five "television sets" disappear, and you've just got this mind left. Be aware though that you can get stuck there. Some people with weak wisdom will think, "That's it - the mind is the ultimate 'television set' that doesn't disappear." However you can either use inference, or you can take those Jhanas deeper, and you can see parts of that last "television set" get hacked away. From First Jhana to Second Jhana you hack away at half the "television set", initial and sustained application of mind (Vitakka and Vicara). From Second to Third to Fourth Jhana you hack away a heap more of that "television set". You hack away at more of the "television set" and you get into the Immaterial Absorptions (Arupa Jhanas). You keep hacking away until you get to cessation (Nirodha Samapatti), when the whole of that last "television set" is gone. Consciousness has disappeared. That which knows has vanished. You come out of that experience, and there is no way that you can miss the meaning. That which we thought to be real, pervasive and stable, that which knows is a mirage!

https://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Ajah ... Things.htm
"Furthermore, with the complete transcending of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, Sariputta entered & remained in the cessation of feeling & perception. Seeing with discernment, his fermentations were totally ended. He emerged mindfully from that attainment. On emerging mindfully from that attainment, he regarded the past qualities that had ceased & changed: 'So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.' He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with an awareness rid of barriers. He discerned that 'There is no further escape,' and pursuing it there really wasn't for him.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
tamdrin
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Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:34 pm
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by tamdrin »

I am now working in the field of mental health here in America. There is a big push to have patient centered care which really focuses on understanding that the mentally ill are human too and catering to their needs more. They definitely treat people pretty well at the organization I am working at. It takes a lot of patience as some of these individuals have been through every treatment and treatment facility the government has offered and still are in rough shape. People are dying alone, suffering alone, and very unhealthy. It is wonderful that a compassionate attitude is being applied to these people. The WHO is actually doing some good work in analyzing the mental health care in countries throughout the world. I just read a large PDF file on it. I could share with anyone interested.
dharmacorps
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Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by dharmacorps »

This is a good subject, especially on the forum now. It is timely. Thanks Sarath. Understanding people are sick and suffering can help compassion arise. Mentally ill people can be very frustrating, but that's where patient endurance and kindness go a long way.
bpallister
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Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2021 2:13 am

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by bpallister »

i work with substance abusers so there's a lot of overlap with mental health issues. it is noble to have compassion for all beings. That is a sad story for all involved. Patient-centered care is definitely the norm in the State i work in (RI) as well. It can get frustrating because some of the individuals i work with really don't have the cognitive wherewithal to make decisions regarding their care, so i have to cajole them to do what's best for them. then again, who's to say that i know what's best for them in all situations?
befriend
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Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by befriend »

We do now live in a golden age for mental illness since the scientific discovery of neuroplasticity the ability of the brain to change through behavior. In the US and other countries like the UK there are peer specialists people who live with a mental illness and have recovered enough to tell their story and help others recover by sharing their insights on healing. I have been helped mostly from my mental illness symptoms by generosity and recollection of generosity and peer specialists. Mentally ill people are not bad, they have so much potential. Thank you SarathW 😊
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
tamdrin
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Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:34 pm
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by tamdrin »

befriend wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 6:11 am We do now live in a golden age for mental illness since the scientific discovery of neuroplasticity the ability of the brain to change through behavior. In the US and other countries like the UK there are peer specialists people who live with a mental illness and have recovered enough to tell their story and help others recover by sharing their insights on healing. I have been helped mostly from my mental illness symptoms by generosity and recollection of generosity and peer specialists. Mentally ill people are not bad, they have so much potential. Thank you SarathW 😊
That is good to hear! I started a new job as a peer specialist a few months ago. I'm learning the open dialogue method and independent peer support.
befriend
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:39 am

Re: Be kind to mentally ill people.

Post by befriend »

Cool, your in a good position to help people by knowing Dhamma. "The most amazing quality of the mind is that it can transform".
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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