Recognise enlightened employers who hire recovering psychiatric patients

I refer to last week’s letter “Address stigma of mental illness early on” by reader Kwan Jin Yao in MediaCorp’s TODAY newspaper, and fully agree with his views. 

People with a mental illness need the same understanding and support given to people with a physical illness.  A mental illness is no different-it is not an illness for which anyone should be blamed. 

Mental illnesses cause a great deal of suffering to those experiencing them, as well as their families and friends. Furthermore, these problems appear to be increasing. According to the World Health Organisation, depression will be one of the biggest health problems worldwide by the year 2020.

The social stigma attached to mental illness remains the biggest obstacle in getting sufferers of mental illness to come forward for treatment.  There are very few enlightened employers in Singapore who will hire recovering psychiatric patients, and unfortunately, many people do not declare that they have a mental illness for fear of being unable to secure that much-need job.  A job that can help pay for their medications and treatment.  A job that can help them reintegrate into society.  And most certainly, a job that gives them a sense of worthiness. 

If ex-convicts are given second chances, then why can’t recovering psychiatric patients be given the same opportunities to rebuild their lives?  We must create an environment where everyone has a place in society. Where everyone feels wanted.

I know of patients who hide in the toilet to take their medications because they are worried that if their colleagues or bosses find out that they are suffering from mental illness, they may either lose their jobs or their careers are frozen.

It will be helpful if there is an award system at a national level to recognise enlightened employers who are prepared to hire recovering psychiatric patients. 

As the late Mother Theresa once: “The biggest disease in the world today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but the feeling of being unwanted.”

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

Human waste horror in Tao Payoh : Educate to remove stigma of mentally-ill

Read Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to the press today, Wed 2^nd Jan 2013 on page 19.

 

I refer to the report, “Human waste horror” (The New Paper, Dec 28).

A person who splashes human waste and paint on neighbours’ doors and surrounding areas is obviously not in the correct state of mind, and desperately needs help. 

In the past, because of lack of public education on mental illness, many people believed that when someone displays bizarre behaviour, they are either possessed by evil spirits or cursed by witchcraft.

Even today, some people unable to recognise the symptoms of mental illness still take those who behave abnormally to faith healers, mediums, magicians and bomohs.   As a result, treatment is delayed and the illness worsens.  

Some hide the mental sickness of their family members because they are in denial. 

This is partly caused by the stigma in our society that prevents us from accepting those with mental illnesses. 

We must address this.

People fear what they don’t understand.  This is why on-going public education on mental illness is necessary to overcome the misconceptions.  

Our mental health providers must educate the community and the family members to develop a positive attitude towards the mentally ill.

They need to be equipped with coping strategies and problem-solving techniques and see first-hand how many who have sought treatment recover. 

We need to inspire, motivate and encourage those struggling with the onslaught of mental illness to see the importance of treatment.

Members of the community, HDB, town councils, Community Development Councils and even Parliament must have training on basic mental health.   

The unsocial behaviour on the part of the woman who hurled buckets of faeces and urine of homes of four neighbours over five months, if left unchecked, will cause further stigmatisation of the mentally ill. 

This is unfair to patients who seek treatment and function normally – just like you and me.  

I believe laws should empower the authorities to impose mandatory treatment on those who are in dire need of psychiatric care. 

This is the practice in many well developed countries.

Let us manage mental illness before it manages us.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

 

 

 

 

 

The Michael Palmer – Laura Ong affair: Forgiveness will help build a better Singapore society

As I was reading the many reports in the media and comments on the internet about Michael Palmer and Laura Ong, I couldn't help but wonder why many in our society have become so unforgiving. 

The photograph of Palmer in Sunday’s New Paper (Sunday 16 December 2012) on the front page tore at my heartstrings.  For here was a man who has done so much for his residents, sacrificing family time so that he can bring hope to the needy and when one mistake is made, his whole career and personal life is damaged. It is really a sad state of affairs because you can do 101 good things, but the moment you make one wrong turn, all the 101 good deeds that you've done, is clean forgotten.

As human beings, we can never be perfect for to err is human. Only God is perfect.

 

It is evident to me that many of the high profile sex scandals involving top civil servants are those who are holding highly stressful jobs that demand long working hours.  And when such a scenario takes place, those who are lonely, stressed out and feel unloved can develop relationships with one another over a period of time.  

But we must never forget that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

An affair is directly proportional to one's spirituality.  When our spiritual foundation regardless of the faith we practice - Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism etc is weak, we become vulnerable into doing bad things.  Remember although God is watching all the time, so is the devil. The only difference is the devil works overtime - to tempt us into committing sin and doing ungodly things.

So let’s condemn the sin not the person committing the wrong act.  As the saying goes, “Don’t look down on a man unless you are willing to pick him up.”

As with any relationship, be it in an office setting or personal encounters, every happy successful partnership begins and ends with the same ingredient – the willingness to negotiate.  The willingness to forgive. 

This is why talks on marriages should be promoted at all levels - schools, government agencies, the CCs, etc.

Despite the numerous crimes and arthrocities committed against the South Africans, former South Africa President Nelson Mandela was able to forgive.  But before forgiveness could come about, Mandela wanted to know the truth so that he could work towards forgiveness and reconciliation.  That was the measure of the man!  And we can all learn from Mandela to build a better Singapore where forgiveness becomes second nature.

My Christmas wish for Michael Palmer and Laura Ong and their families is that you can come out of this episode stronger and more resilient as you struggle to rebuild your lives with the unflagging support from your family members whom I hope will stand by you through thick and thin.

Merry Christmas to one and all. God Bless!

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO   

 

Letter to The New Paper (TNP)- Govt should manage public transport

Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to The New Paper on the above matter is published today in TNP, page 27, Wed 12^th Dec 2012.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has hinted that public transport fares may have to go up so that drivers can be given higher salaries. 

This is causing anxiety among those who are already worried sick over the cost of living.

SMRT makes millions of dollars in profits and its top executives are paid high salaries and bonuses.

The Government has often advised citizens to save for a rainy day.  Perhaps, if SMRT had done the same during the years of high profits, it may be able to pay its drivers more without raising fares.

Why should the public have to pay more instead?

Concerns about the rising transport costs may be one reason why some are reluctant to take up jobs far away from their homes.

Public transport needs to manage by the Government, like public health services.   

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

Baffling how no one stepped forward to help suicidal mentally retarded teenager

An open letter to Prime Minister  Lee Hsien Loong,  Minister for Health &  related Govt leaders/agencies

 

In the Straits Times report “Teen gets 8 weeks’ jail after 13 suicide attempts”, 18-year-old Kathleen Seah Pei Yi was sentenced to 2 months’ jail for repeated suicidal attempts.

I am baffled that despite media reports highlighting the plight of this mentally retarded teen and the difficulties her caregivers are facing, not a single person or organisation offered to help ease their struggles. 

In my discussion with Education Minister Heng Swee Keat during the first National Conversation exercise, I appealed to Mr Heng to help caregivers of the mentally ill.  The minister was sympathetic and assured me that he would look into the welfare of caregivers of psychiatric patients.  But I have yet to see any sustainable support being given to this group.

Does it make sense to place a mentally retarded child who is obviously not in her correct state of mind into prison just because no one wants to assist this family? Is this what an inclusive society is all about?

Our mental health care providers, including the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) must work closely together to help ease the suffering and emotional distress which caregivers of the mentally ill face every day in their lonely and isolated lives.

 

The Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) manages psychiatric homes in Pelangi village and even in Bukit Gombak where those who have been abandoned by their families or are unable to take care of themselves for whatever reasons, can be given shelter, food and care.  Although Kathleen has not been abandoned by her family, some flexibility should be exercised in cases like this. 

 

At SAMH’s Pelangi Village, there are volunteers who teach art and pottery to psychiatric patients and with encouragement, support and motivation, I have every confidence that the troubled teen can go on to lead a more fulfilling life. 

 

Placing the teenager who is mentally retarded in prison will only worsen her condition, as imprisoning a person can do a lot of damage. For isolation makes a person to feel unwanted, uncared and unloved.

 

So what happens when the teen serves her 8 week jail sentence, then comes out and again tries to harm herself? Put her in jail- again? Can’t the authorities look into long-term solutions, instead of short term ones? And it is not as if I have not raised this matter to the Health Minister when I first read about her plight more than a month ago.

See my open letter to the Health Minister here:

http://rayhope8.blogspot.sg/2012/10/jail-not-option-psychiatric-homes-run.html

 

As a society if we cannot feel and show compassion to the vulnerable in our society, then will we ever become a gracious and caring nation? To this end,  I am not at all surprised that Singapore was ranked as the most emotionless society in the world, according to a Bloomberg News report on a Gallup survey.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

View issues raised by Singaporeans as feedback, not complaints

In his letter “Void decks (and complaining) are uniquely Singaporean” (The New Paper, Oct 22), reader Wee Hong Giap opined that void decks are a good space to foster community spirit and that Singaporeans complain too much.

First of all, when Singaporeans raised issues that affect their daily living and environment, it must not be viewed as complaints, but rather as feedback. Feedback that can help improve the lives of all our citizens.

Let us not forget that more than 80 per cent of our citizens live in HDB flats and our homes must be a place when we can return to after a hard day’s work to rest and get respite. Children need to study, the elderly sick need to rest.  

While activities such as wedding celebrations can help foster community bonding, void decks should not be used for anything and everything.

In my place, where I live, practically every other month, there is renovation work going on opposite my block or at my block.  And these renovation works can last a month.

Then there are wakes and clan associations that use void decks and basket ball courts that has disrupted the peace and quiet which residents guard so jealousy these days.  And I can tell you that these noise pollutions can sometime take place 7 days a week.

A lady friend of mine who lives near my block told me that because of the smoke that was pouring out from the incense that was being burnt at these clan association activities, she fell sick and had to be hospitalized.

There is a definite need to control excessive noise in the heartlands, and I’d like to make the following suggestions, which I hope the Government will seriously consider for implementation:

 (a) Have funeral wakes and wedding celebration in enclosed areas. For example, build multi-storey funeral parlors similar to the ones at the Singapore Casket Company, and allow wedding celebrations to be held at Community Centres to which affordable prices can be charged.

 

(b) As double-glazed windows can help to reduce noise levels significantly, HDB can offer this option to citizens applying for flats. It cost less than $1,000 to install this in a room.

( c ) The renovation noise in HDB flats can be unbearable even with ear plugs or installation of double-glazed windows.  Hence, it may be necessary to restrict these renovation works up to 2pm on weekdays with none carried out on weekends and public holidays.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

Caregiver burnout: Raymond is interviewed on Radio- 938 LIVE

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has launched a set of self-help solutions for caregivers to cope with the emotional and social stress of caring for the elderly with dementia. Recently, Minister of State for Health, Dr Amy Khor, also emphasised the importance of strengthening access to a strong network of support service for caregivers to manage their stress and become more effective. What's really needed to care for caregivers. Find out more from Raymond Fernando, caregiver to his wife who suffers from schizophrenia.

http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/radio/podcast/breakfast-club-1

Click under: Caregivers