England, Mental Health and a Naked Black Man
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As I drove to the top of our little close yesterday, on my way to get a few things from Sainsbury’s, a naked black man was dancing around in the middle of the road.
‘Well’, I thought, ‘You don’t see that everyday’.
He then wandered across the main road, almost getting run over twice but oblivious to the danger he was in, and sat cross legged on the opposite pavement as if meditating.
Several women walking by made various noises, from little screams to sort of gurgling sounds, and ran away.
Nobody stopped to see if they could help.
I called the police, but advised them that he lived nearby and had mental health issues. I suspected he had not taken his meds.
It happened a few years back. He came to our end of the close, stark naked with an uncut loaf of bread and a large carving knife. He wanted to feed the birds.
On that occasion, armed police arrived. I tried to explain that he wasn’t dangerous but they didn’t seem inclined to listen. In the event, his mother, a small bird like creature, arrived. She hit him on the head with her umbrella and ordered him home before the police could react and stop her approaching him.
He meekly complied, much to the amazement of the police.
I thought i’d better hang around, so I parked up and went over to him. He agreed to get dressed – which was a relief – and I chatted to him. He was talking gibberish, poor chap.
Three police cars arrived and six burly officers jumped out and told me to back away.
I told them he was harmless and just needed taking home to his mum, who would then give him his meds.
As the police shouted at me, he became more and more agitated so I said to the nearest police officer, “Either stop frightening him or fuck off. You aren’t helping”.
Rather than arrest me, he listened, told the other officers to move away and spoke quietly to the chap.
It was sorted.
Mental health is much talked about these days. It’s a pity nobody seems to be doing more than talking. People like my neighbour, and his mum, need practical help, not a bunch of politicians and ‘do gooders’ waffling on.
Just saying.
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You were contained? Wow. Now those officers received some excellent training indeed 😉
I know right?
Well, far as I’m concerned, I did the right thing… For once. There but for the grace of (deity of your choice) eh?
Here in my little liberal paradise of CA we have crisis intervention teams after Brown signed it into law that certain law enforcement officers get field training in how to help mentally ill people, along with other first responders. Seems to work because I have been contained 😉
Organisations such as ‘MIND’ are, I suppose, ‘do-gooders’ but they actually do good. The ‘do-gooders’ of whom I speak are the ones who keep popping up on TV using mental health to further their own agenda’s.
Celebs are particularly in this mix – especially if their careers need a boost….as in “Oh poor me I’ve had a breakdown”. They couldn’t give a toss about anyone else.
Resources wise, there aren’t nearly enough and the government, despite waffling platitudes, aren’t prepared to fund the needed resources.
I suspect it’s because there isn’t any profit in it.
There’s an awful lot of talk but precious little action.
It takes resources, which begs the question, how does one obtain resources without politicians allocating funds and “do-gooders” pushing them to do so?