The Betrayal of the Mentally Ill

After the rain the English summer has returned to sunshine, although more rain is forecast for a couple of days' time.
Still, in England you take whatever weather you get and find something to complain about. This is Nosher's approach, and it's served him well for 75 years.
'I wouldn't mind if it rained only at night' he said, relaxing in his deckchair at lunchtime 'although not every night - the bats can't feed in heavy rain.'
I looked across at him from the comfort of my own deckchair. He had a classic Nosher grin on his face.
'Just to change the subject, Nosh, what do you think of the broadside fired by the incoming President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dinesh Bhugra, about the state of mental health services in this country?'
Nosher raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.
'I believe he says that the wards are overcrowded, unsafe, and uninhabitable' he replied 'so one can hardly disagree with him. In my view the government has completely failed to foresee the impact of drug-induced mental illness resulting from illegal drug use, and now the mental health services have been swamped by desocialised mentally disturbed junkies who bring their nasty habits into hospital with them and make life difficult for those who genuinely need a place of refuge and respite.'
'Are you saying that drug addicts don't deserve treatment?'
I was being a little mischevous.
'Not at all' replied Nosher 'I think they should be put into special secure units and taken off drugs, cold turkey if you like, whilst being medically supervised so that any resulting medical conditions can be treated promptly. I don't think they should have a choice in the matter. They are a social plague that is dragging this country down, and the sooner they get the message that they are their own worst enemy the better.'
Nosher beamed at the apparent ease with which all this rolled off his tongue.
'What would you say to those who claim that drug addicts are victims of society and should be treated with kid gloves?' I asked him.
'Pah! That's how we've got ourselves into this situation. Try reading Addiction is a Myth by John Booth Davis, or Addiction is a Choice by Jeffrey Schaler, or Junk Medicine by Theodore Dalrymple. You'll soon see how we've all been deceived. Junkies are self-indulgent, self-obsessed individuals who feed their own desires at everyone else's expense. If you want to explore the link between drugs and criminality, I suggest you read David Fraser's A Land Fit For Criminals.'
Nosher glanced across at his broad beans, which are doing very well this year.
'Anyone can make stupid choices and ruin their lives' he declared 'I know I've made a few mistakes. But instead of wallowing in self-pity or blaming society I learned my lesson, made amends where possible, and got on with life. I put my energies into making something of myself. Which is why I've earned the right to sit here and enjoy my little allotment, the product of all my hard work during the preceding years. There's a moral issue with drug addiction, and it's to do with getting something for nothing, kicks for free, no effort required. The downside is that they ruin your life. Only when addicts can acknowledge this will they start rehabilitating themselves.'
At this, Nosher closed his eyes and appeared to be taking a nap.
In any case, that was the end of our conversation.
I can't help thinking he has a point.
More from http://www.overthegardenfence.blogspot.com/ soon.
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