Lite[r]

© Jodekss Gloatkenf

By 🅱🅾🅻🆄🆆🅰🆃🅸🅵🅴

Edited by 「Jowes」

The whole truth is that I don't know where to begin. I have a lot to reflect on but let's begin this way anyway. Moses Inwang's movie is actually an eye opener to different types of disorder. I'm not going to bore you with details of the movie but trust me it is happens in the real life. Drama is an imitation of reality anyway. So, mental illness is real.

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For two weeks now, I have been visiting the government owned psychiatric hospital. I'm not the patient but my experiences there have showed me what it really means to have mental disorder. Somehow, I began to evaluate the normal reasonable people. The truth is WE ARE ALL MAD. I don't mean to insult anyone but come to think of it, there are different manifestations of madness from everyone and this defines our individualities somehow. 

The fact that you are reasonable doesn't mean you are okay mentally. Directly or indirectly we manifest certain unnamed mental illness which can be traced to our background, environment, work and all yet lack a name to give to our illness. Mental illness as discovered by psychiatrists is a condition that affects, behaviour, thinking and mood. They further discovered common mental disorders like Clinical depression, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Mood Disorder, Personality Disorder, Psychotic Disorder such as schizophrenia, Trauma- related disorder and Substance Abuse disorder. However, Psychiatrists argued that  there are other mental disorders which are yet to be categorised. How do you describe this type of disorder - you see an Hausa man selling jewelry and he talks to himself, pointing at some images yet he interacts with people?

Let me use the character that was used by Moses Inwang that's Lucinda Opara who is actually not mad mentally but mad literally. She was able to influence Alfred, Lucy made him believe he was Ramsey Nouah. Is that not crazy? All because she wants to proof a point that she is a good writer. Prior to that time she had convinced her parents that she has clinical depression which was self- diagnosed. Mad people I tell would go to the extreme to show how capable or good they are to proof you right or wrong. Now the question is is Lucy not mad? Just take a look at the fictional story she created about her boyfriend and sex and all just to make Alfred feel important.

I have been there also. But my own madness was used to save a mental disorder patient to get better. I told you earlier that I have been visiting the mental hospital. So Mr P met me for the first time and he came up with the idea that I'm his wife. I didn't know about it until I got to the hospital that very evening and I was told I have a husband who have been kneeling with his Bible in his hand waiting for me to come. When I got there, I had to beg Mr P to stand up then he said promise me you will marry me and I was like OK but get well first. He stood up and I took him to his bed, pet him like a baby and he said will you wait for me to get well so I can proof my love to you? And I said OK. As I write this, he is my friend and he saved my number as his wife. Very interesting.....The gist is enormous by the way. If I may ask how do you use your madness?

I know of another patient who have been trying to be fine. He was diagnosed of Clinical depression. Mr T initially was rude and easily irritated but for good number of reasons he has been calm, loving and considerate. For a week now, he has changed. He checks on other patients, and talks with them even help the nurses to calm a violent or aggressive patient. He is simply trying to be normal again.

Laughter is indispensable in the psychiatric hospital. You will laugh and feel pity at the same time. I can't simply describe those moments when have got to laugh and cry within for a patient. It is not funny as we think. You get to hear some of them say 'I am GOD' or scream, I mean they just shout and talk excessively. They talk about unrealistic things, see images that another normal person cannot see, they claim to hear voices and get angry unnecessarily. Believe me that is what Moses Inwang was trying to portray in his movie.

I just think it takes another mad person to understand a madman. Though, there's a destination. Lucy has a destination in mind which is to proof that she is indeed a good writer. Hence, Alfred was used to achieve her 'weirdest' dream. A mental disorder patient is not even aware of his present state let alone of knowing his destination. They are oblivious.

You cannot underestimate the power of influence. Through influence Lucy was able to carry out her intended plan. First, she influenced her sister's mind to believe that her husband was cheating, then convinced her to be mentally ill and then her greatest influence to make her a master planner was on Alfred. Someone once said responsibility broaden your influence. She took responsibility for Alfred- the cars, accommodation, money and being his manager. She literally became the writer, producer and director of the character she created. Have ever thought about the most well known groups who were created not because they have money but influence got them to the peak. Influence they say cannot be achieved without motivation. She motivated him( Alfred) Oh my gosh! This makes me to ponder... If only our youths can be influenced and motivated to achieve more or do more.
Can you see now that MADNESS is relative? Moses Inwang's crazy people is not to down talk people with mental disorders but to create this awareness and how to help cure this people. Some mental illness take longer time to heal or better and some short as three months. It depends on the other reasonable and understanding people around to help them. If you have anyone with mental illness please don't segregate them. Show them love and acceptance, patience is needed just in case you have anyone. You have to be extremely patient, don't say bad words around them because if you do it goes to their brain, the rest is history, I mean disaster. And if they are complaining about the drugs given to them in the hospital, encourage them to use it... The side effects to these drugs are unexplainable still let them understand why they need it. Also make them accept their condition. When they accept the are not stable mentally, healing takes place first from there.

© Boluwatife Oladipo

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