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187
A therapeutic group for alcoholics supervised by a Bexley
Hospital consultant psychiatrist meets at Castlewood on Wednesday
evenings.
Community Services for the Mentally Ill
As with an iceberg our thoughts, emotions, fears and desires
lie largely hidden but they can be the origin of severe mental illness.
Life's catastrophies can vary from the death of a loved one, sudden
severe illness or accident, financial or social disgrace any one of
which is capable of precipitating a neurosis. Moreover, disaster can
descend without ceremony or warning on any one in the community.
Depending upon personality, this is met by some with fortitude and
resolution, by others with placidity and, in a minority, with a degree
of despair or even complete collapse.
Personality is the sum total of heredity and environmental
influences including parents' views, those of contemporaries, working
and leisure conditions, etc., all of which are subject at times to religious
teaching, faith or other ideological pressures.
During the Victorian era, it was taught that even under great
stress to show one's feelings was just 'not done'. All emotions had to
be under strict control and there was to be no 'elation' at success
nor 'collapse' at disaster-the aim was imperturbability.
In adversity, such an ideal was extremely valuable for it added
to one's self-respect, enhanced one's social status and the satisfaction
of 'bearing' oneself well often compensated for the actual disaster.
Unfortunately, such stoicism was difficult to maintain and slow to
achieve and, on occasions, it undoubtedly produced much personal
misery, mental and physical ill-health and social injustice.
Today, although it is considered psychologically sound to
express feelings and emotions fully, it may well be that the readjustment
has gone too far. Uncontrolled feelings are expressed without
consideration for others which not only leave an individual without a
steadying influence and bereft of support in adverse circumstances
but society itself is threatened with instability. In such an atmosphere
an increase in the development of psychoneurosis should not
occasion surprise.
Because the psychological needs of a patient depend so much
on family relationships and those with his friends, associates,
superiors, etc., a local authority's endeavours should include not
only care for the mentally ill in their own homes and within their own
community but, on a broader basis, schemes for the education of the
public to accept them should be given a high degree of priority.
Our community services, therefore, are geared to support the
mentally ill, to restore confidence to those who have lost the ability
to face life's difficulties and with the aim ultimately of so