Do crazy people do crazy things?

Do crazy people do crazy things? Well, that seems obvious enough right? What else does society expect crazy people to do? They scream at you. They harass you in a crowded MRT train. They ask for your badge.

Before I address that, let’s talk about today’s article. It carries this caption: “1 in 43 found to have had psychotic disorder.” Yes, this is a study conducted by IMH, the hospital for the mentally unwell. 

One in 43 translates to 71,600 people with psychotic disorder, give or take. And this is only limited to those reported cases, that is, those who sought help. Many out there keep their struggles to themselves, refusing to admit they have a mental condition (or two) that is out of control and is destroying their life, career, hope, marriage and relationship with their children. 

Help is a loaded word. At times, the charity adds to the trauma. It is one thing to lend a helping hand to another for a good cause, but it is quite another to do so when the society thinks you’re a lost cause. Most times, the lonely road to healing is fraught with people who take pity on you rather than take the time to understand you, befriend you and be patient with you. 

Time is an issue too. It comes in two. One is about the rat race of life. We are all running after something. It is a race of life for that material crown of life. It is the idolatry of the prize. Winner takes all.

And the blind obsession turns everything that doesn’t help us to get there faster or sooner into an obstacle or an inconvenience to be eradicated or sidelined. This also turns society into a well-oiled machinery centred around quick-fixes, which effectively sorts, labels, pigeonholes, and distances people we don’t have time to understand or don’t want to take the time to do so. Recall that they are obstacles or inconvenience to be done away with? 

This brings me to the second issue about time. We have commodified it. Time is money. We want results with timelines. The faster the result the better. We thus don’t see long term. We see only what we can reap in the short term. This takes a toll on how we see people, especially people who are different from us, that is, people who cannot keep up with us. 

I honestly believe that the mentally unwell needs an environment safe and assuring enough to heal. Medication and treatments are no doubt important, yet understanding, acceptance and transparency are also important. We deal with one another with dignity as human beings with different needs and struggles. Not all are born equal. Some are born less equal than others. 

And I always believe that there is a very thin line between the mentally ok and the mentally less ok. For none of us can say that we have never experienced a snap moment, or moments where, if given the right conditions, we too would do things we would never catch ourselves doing in the normal run of things. Most times, we manage better not because we are different, but because we have a community that is different (or one that is not indifferent).

Of course, there are the handful who really need prolonged medical attention, but for the rest, a little understanding, a call to suspend our judgment, and a hand to hold can go a long way. 

Let me return to the article. The journalist Timothy Goh interviewed Marilyn, who “has had three psychotic breaks since 2010.” She has since led a normal life, “working as an accountant for seven years, getting married in 2017, and recently becoming a mother.”

Marilyn has this to say: “A lot of times, people think that those with this condition cannot be cured, and it’s the end for them. They also think it means they have to stay in hospital on a long-term basis.”

“We can lead a normal life as well with proper medication and intervention. The stigma against those with mental health conditions still exists in Singapore. I hope that people here can learn more about these conditions and reduce this stigma because we are able to lead normal lives - we’re not crazy people.”

So I return to where I first started. I asked, do crazy people do crazy things? Well, we all do, crazy or otherwise. It is of course a matter of degree. And I do not want to pretend that some people don’t need genuine help. But I also do not want to pretend that I am not part of the issue, because our perception and prejudice count, and more so when we are mindless about it. And it counts enough to contribute to one’s road to recovery, and our own self-discovery. 

Hence, a little more self-awareness here would go a long way in that mutual-healing journey.