Reaching out

This is the eighth time I have blipped a photo of this sculpture atop one of the large gate posts framing the entry from Park Road into the Auckland Domain. The last time was three and a half years ago. I gave links in that post for the earlier posts.

Today I walked from the apartment to the gate and back. Dropped Young L off at his school before carrying on to reach the gateway. I was struck by the light reflecting from the bronze sculpture, and the effect created by the aluminium cladding of the hospital car park behind it; I decided that repetition would be acceptable.

A different title today; to reflect that as a society we need to be reaching out to those in need and helping them to achieve their capabilities in the way that suits them personally. I do not believe that someone with a severe psychotic illness, who is alienated from family and from friends and society, turns to drugs and alcohol out of psychopathology. He or she does so because of despair and the possibility of a small window of not feeling bad. 

Too much of what we have to do in over-stretched services is the use of band aid types of intervention. Covering up the psychosis, and not having time to deal with the social disability it produces. Homelessness is common in the young men and women with severe treatment resistant illness. Suicide is high in this group, yet lower than in the non psychotic alienated and unemployed young men and women in New Zealand. Not that psychosis protects against despair; but the contact with our services IS contact with others. Addressing the social inequities which underlie so many of our problems may get more attention with the new Government. One can only hope.

This sculpture has enabled me to tell a number of different stories. Patients each have their own stories to tell, if only they could, if only others would listen. From those stories comes the information that will guide the provision of the right support for the individual. Holding out a hand is not hard. Holding on and helping is harder, and more rewarding. After eighty years in this place, he has seen much and has many stories yet to tell.