I read about a theft at the grocery store, where a woman stole 5 eggs to feed her hungry kids at home when questioned by a police officer. The latter took her to the grocery store to buy some items instead of arresting her!
Sometimes, one has to apply humanity instead of the law. Such compassion!
Here is a police officer who used his brain instead of arresting and putting behind the bar, the thief who needs help; … the thief whom societal safety net and politicians have failed.
“I’m not the kind of person who likes to shout out my personal issues from the rooftops, but with my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow sufferers will know it’s completely controllable. I hope I can help remove any stigma attached to it, and that those who don’t have it under control will seek help with all that is available to treat it.” — Catherine Zeta-Jones
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
“Nurse B, my bag leaks again! The other nurse A applied the bag just thirty minutes ago!” called Mr. Ahmed, a bed-ridden patient.
“Sigh! Look at the mess! Now I have to change a new bag again, the bed linens and your hospital clothes!” Nurse B grumbled as she changed the linens and the stoma bag…
Nurse Chen saw the patient tearing silently. She went toward him.
“Nurse Chen, see that window? If only I can walk! I would jump out of it!” he cried sadly.
“What is the point of ‘saving my life from cancer of the large intestine’, if my life is such a mess everyday!” he lamented the poor quality of life after operation.
That happened in the late 1980s. A small pioneering team of surgeons and nurses were tasked to look into the care of patients who were operated and had a stoma (<—see the images here) on their abdomen or ‘tummy’.
Those days stoma bags were a basic bag with zinc oxide adhesive (below). Very often it leaked and the fecal effluent spilled all over their clothes and bed linens. The skin around the stoma became excoriated or burned by the frequent contact with the excrements. It became inflamed and excruciatingly painful.
It was very depressing for the patients, and frustrating for the patient, home-carer and healthcare staff, too.
Upon discharge, some patients used cloth, new-papers, coconut shell, empty tins over their stoma to collect the effluents. Some created their own stoma bags (see below).
Self-made stoma bag for faecal effluent or discharge
Li Na passed by a house in a rural village. An unkempt, half-naked man was squatting over a drain outside a half-burned house.
The driver said, “he is a mentally-ill person. He was probably trying to cook some food.” A lady sitting next to Anna chuckled, “… and burning down his own house, crazy fella.”
Li Na was disappointed with the elderly lady. “But, but, this house is so near the hospital! He needs treatment!” Li Na exclaimed. “The police would not come and take him to the hospital because no one reported it,” the driver explained.
… Society has failed him. … Our mental health safety net has failed, …His family members have failed him and not gotten him treated. Li Na felt guilty too for not picking up the phone, as the team moved on.
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The above anecdote is an example and illustration of some neglected persons.
Covid-19 causes stress and potential mental disorders risks in society and work places as well. Safety net policies need to be enforced for these people at risk
class in session about assertiveness – Photo by ICSA on Pexels.com
I sat behind the class to listen to a class on cognitive behavioral therapy. My son was in the front row. The class was for parents as well as patients with mental disorders. The topic was on assertiveness.
Assertiveness is adopting a firm position in a disagreement without compromise. Assertiveness is not aggressiveness. I learned to respect him when he said no to something we were negotiating whether to do or not. It pleased me that he knew his limit on a certain issue. He had to learn how to manage daily happenings in order not to get upset emotionally.
Many things in life are beyond our control. We have control only over oneself. We can also choose to assert our stand, or ignore if it is none of our business!
It is a skill that can be learned and applied.
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“The duty we owe ourselves is greater than that we owe others.” ― Louisa May Alcott
Chen Song Ping 