In the novel, Need, Greed & Ignorance, many mental health conditions are brought to the fore via the main character Sam, and in fact are a major feature of this story.
Take a look at you and me…..
Often we are too blind to see…and we simply turn our head and look the other way.
For he sees – what we can’t see…..
He hears what we can’t hear…
And he feels what we can never feel…!
Although this fictional book is just that – fictional – it has been written by someone who has had first hand experience of mental health conditions, some of which are listed below:
Psychosis (psy·cho·sis), noun
“the inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not..”
“a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality”
Schizophrenia/Bi-polar disorder
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that can result in a range of different psychological symptoms, such as:
- hallucinations – hearing or seeing things that do not exist
- delusions – unusual beliefs not based on reality which often contradict the evidence
- manic despression
- muddled thoughts based on the hallucinations or delusions
- changes in behaviour – mood swings
There are many misconceptions over this “illness”, not helped by the many so-called horror or “psycho” thrillers based around this condition where the sufferer is portrayed as nearly ALWAYS being extremely violent. This is not the case! Most crimes are perpetrated by those who do not suffer mental illness – and most that suffer mental illness do not commit crimes!
Schizophrenia is one of the most common serious mental health conditions. It is most often diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 35. Men and women are equally affected. There is no single test for this disorder but is often diagnosed after an assessment by a mental health care professional, such as a psychiatrist.
Read more about diagnosing schizophrenia.
How is schizophrenia treated?
Schizophrenia is usually treated with a combination of medication and therapy appropriate to each individual. In most cases, this will be antipsychotic medicines and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
People with schizophrenia will usually receive help from a community mental health team which will offer day-to-day support and treatment.
Support and treatment can help reduce the impact of the condition.
If schizophrenia is well managed, it is possible to reduce the chances of severe relapses. This can include:
- recognising signs of an acute episode
- taking medication as prescribed
- talking to others about the condition
There are many charities and support groups offering help and advice on living with schizophrenia. The internet has a list of these contacts.
Bi polar (disorder) is very similar to schizophrenia although it is not always considered to be a long term condition – rather it is known to come in periods — often referred to as “Bi polar episodes”:
Emotional Deprivation
See extract in text by Dr. Anne Kalput: Paper on Emotional Deprivation Disorder – Chapter 38 – “A Lamb to the Slaughter”:
Emotional Deprivation Disorder was first discovered by psychiatrist Dr. Anne Kalput in the late 1940s and was called the Frustration Neurosis. Dr. Kalput found that a person could exhibit symptoms of anxiety, repression, or psychosis when these symptoms were not the result of mental illness, but rather the result of a lack of unconditional love in early life.
Emotional Deprivation Disorder is a syndrome that results from a lack of care, love, and emotional strengthening in one’s life. A person may have been criticised, ignored, neglected, abused, or emotionally rejected by primary caregivers early in life, resulting in that individual’s stunted emotional growth. Unaffirmed persons are then seen to be incapable of developing into emotionally mature adults, often forever, or in some cases, until they receive authentic affirmation from another person.
All have difficulty establishing normal, mature contact with others. As an adult, they require the same amount of attention as a child; they feel inferior and/or inadequate, are excessively sensitive to the judgment of others, and prefer to hide away from society and live lone lives.
DREAMS
Dreams as well as voices and hallucinations feature in the novel regularly. Sam is haunted by both and resorts to a number of methods in an attempt to either silence them or analyse them.
Sam visits a number of mental health practitioners ( Hair, Carroll & Lamb), but it is in Chapter 36, “Lowest of the Low” that Dr Carroll attempts to explain to Sam what dreams are, and their meaning. Sam is atypical in that he tries several ways in the early days to help him find the answers to his escalating illness. He is fascinated by religion, the afterlife (he believes he has special powers for seeing into this) and also tries talking to anyone who will listen from the telephone helplines to clinicians and hypnotherapists.
For the analysis of nightmares and dreams in general see www.ianwallacedreams.com.
Acknowedgement to Ian Wallace for this excellent analysis of what dreams are and their purpose. Ian is a dream psychologist and has analysed over 170,000 dreams for his clients during his career (as quoted from his website).
MENTAL HEALTH – FURTHER READING & HELP
For further reading the organisations below offer more information on mental health issues. Please note this list is by no means exhaustive – use the internet to search for more:
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/an-introduction-to-mental-health/
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/schizophrenia.aspx
MIND
MIND provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Their motto is – “Mental health problems do not discriminate so neither do we!”
Infoline: 0300 123 3393: email: info@mind.org.uk, website: www. mind.org.uk
NHS SERVICES
Need, Greed and Ignorance 
It helps a non medical person understand the book. The whole website would be very valuable to someone who has read the book once and wishes to re-read it –
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