Institution
I was born in Pecs, Hungary on 8th August 1961. I was brought up by a mother who battled with severe depression. As a result, I had several glimpses into the Hungarian care system since I was young. By the time I was a teenager, I had seen how the electroshock rehabilitation was stealing my mother’s memory and personality. Years later, my mother attempted a serious suicide and had to be put under the care of National Institute of Psychiatry. I witnessed how she was stigmatized, treated inhumanely and robbed of her human rights. Later on, my mother died, and this is when I discovered with significant evidence that her death was due to negligence at the facility. I was seriously affected and became visibly psychotic for a while. However, with the help of support from friends, I managed to live a better life. The injustice of my mother’s death profoundly influenced my dedication to defending the psychiatric patient rights.
Depression is a countrywide issue in Hungary just like everywhere in the developing world. However, the suicide rate in Hungary is the highest in the world. Conversely, the equipment offered in the facility is not enough for admissions to the facility (Dudley, Silove & Gale, 2012). Even the newest facility made in 1994 shows the stance of the society, the stigma, the discrimination against mentally disabled people. The buildings are modern, but they are run like before, the attitudes are old, have a common eating room, and have cages for severe cases.
I understand those inside the mental institutions. I do not think that they are lesser human beings than we are (Dudley, Silove & Gale, 2012). By understanding this case, we can influence each other on a personal level and influence changes on different levels. If the decision makers, as other human, embrace normal human relations with the mental disabilities together with other disabilities, this will influence change and understanding.
Reference
Dudley, M., Silove, D., & Gale, F. (2012). Mental health and human rights: Vision, praxis, and courage. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University …