Maggie's Farm

Schizophrenia and manic mental illnesses are tough. Once seriously dated a man whose brother was afflicted- he’d forget his meds, refuse them, abuse other “chemicals” or, even on his meds, be not quite grounded or trustworthy. Was worried about babies having the gene or having children and grandchildren around such a person in the family. The brother was into guns and had threatened violence on several occasions out of raging anger and jealousy; much of his creativity was channeled into either violent or sexual thought and often a combo (way beyond outré sex-play scenarios). People deal with mentally ill close ones, are forced to try, but it isn’t an easy life for anyone, patient or friends and family. This man needed institutional care in a reputable, responsible facility-- there was no other sure, safe fix to protect him and others.

Seems there are a lot of minimally functioning and mainstreamed mentally unbalanced who somewhat get along below the radar or through masterful manipulation. We all meet them from time to time; after encounters, I try to doubt my sanity to feel sane…

Often, buildings can be more easily rehabilitated into useful life. How can this asylum not be haunted by the miseries of the haunted-in-life, with lingering and palpable effects? But there is therapy through renovation of structure and restoration of spirit. I once rehabbed an old frame house in which one of the rooms had the centers of the walls and ceiling punched out. One late night working alone there I realized that a man had hung himself, kicking out the walls as he swung. Took every thing I had to ever be on the premises by myself… But good life was brought back to the redone structure; a young family was able to move in and give the place a new start on life.

Bleh on my comment. It’s quite a state we’re in when buildings and atmospherics are easier to fix than people and their defective genes or damaged spirits. Knowing that, though, shouldn’t mean a forever generous giving away of one’s safety and other interests. My sympathy ends where another’s hostile and violent projections begin, no matter the nature of its source.

Anyway, the line between willful malice and pathology is muddy as hell. How to regard criminals and jihadists-- as deeply disturbed perps or as victims of innate and environmental circumstance? Those who believe in free will must take responsibility for what they do, to include not getting remediated or cured through medical/ psychotropic intervention when it’s called for. Else there’s only genetic, bio-chemical and social-existential psychotic determinism for everybody, and not just for the extremely afflicted.