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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 3 Hansard (27 May) . . Page.. 679 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

If the truth be known, we accentuate these traits in other people. People do not want to be reminded that they, too, have similar or the same traits, to a lesser degree, which they keep hidden. Thus, these people feel uneasy, uncomfortable and embarrassed. In other words, it is too close to home for them. Therefore, we are treated with fear, suspicion, scorn, ridicule and ignorance and often in an infantile manner.

On the other hand, to label one as `normal' means that one is lumped into a category despite individual differences. `Normal' is defined in The Concise Oxford Dictionary as `... conforming to standard, regular, usual, typical; free from mental or emotional disorder.'

Normal can imply that one is dull, uninteresting, boring and bland. The psychiatrically disabled exhibit none of these traits. On the contrary, most are colourful, original, distinctive and unafraid to be expressive, uninhibited and creative. It is only when we have been doped up with medication (sedated) and when we have been lectured (counselled) that most of us lose these characteristics. We are deviants. We are coerced to conform to fit into Western society. We are forbidden to be our natural selves. Is it any wonder that some psychiatrically disabled commit suicide?

Sometimes the pressure to conform can kill.

Normal people seem to feel threatened by, and maybe even envious of, our abilities and behaviour. They try to stamp it out and/or put us down. Perhaps that may also explain our loss of confidence, self-esteem and distinctiveness.

In addition, most of us are extremely sensitive and try to please people. Usually we tend to avoid conflict and risks. Thus, we succumb to conformity in order to survive. We live in a Western society which seems insensitive towards deviants and eccentrics.

I go to another part of the book on rights. The chapter is entitled "Have human rights gone too far?". Exploring some of these issues in this way has been quite an eye-opener for me. The book states:

The rights of the mentally-ill person are all very well in theory. In practice, however, these rights often pose agonising dilemmas for the carer.

As well as suffering from delusion, hallucination and other bizarre symptoms, the mentally-ill person also experiences irrationality and illogical thought processes.

This means that the mentally-ill person is in no fit mental state to make important decisions at that particular disturbing time.

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