The Mentally Ill and Their Treatment

[Tails Turrosaki]

I was watching the show, "What Would You Do?" And there's this one about a kid and he has downs, so he's packing bags in a store.

An actor plays the offensive person and is on the register, getting his food bagged, etc. etc. So the actor was like, "These kinda people should not be working like this," and such for people's reactions to the situation.

But at the end, the kid with downs says, "We do not deserve to be treated like that."

I'm sure he meant like in these situations where the customer is downright discriminating him for no reason, but then it got me thinking... You mean, like, always? So if you were being a bitch, I should respect you just because your have downs? I thought we were trying to get everyone to become equal. That's not equal, that's putting them above people without a mental illness. I find it disgusting when they beg to be equal yet act like they are princesses or princes. Rather, the people who stick up for them are like that... ... The ones I've met, anyways. I'm sure not all of them, I'm positive not all of them.

Do you really think those who are mentally ill should be treated with more respect just because they are so?

[rachelbean]

People with Down's syndrome have what is called a developmental disability, not mental illness. Mental illness is very different. It's a good idea to learn the difference between the two because you could end up offending somebody pretty badly.

In any case I don't believe it's an issue of respect, it's an issue of recognizing someone's ability to comprehend and react to a situation and acting accordingly yourself. If you treat everyone with respect off the bat you are a lot less likely to run into problems no matter their cognitive ability. Of course it's never okay for anybody to be rude, no matter their age or abilities, but the few people who would suggest that are just reacting from guilt and ignorance anyway.

[hadespussercats]

I was watching the show, "What Would You Do?" And there's this one about a kid and he has downs, so he's packing bags in a store.

An actor plays the offensive person and is on the register, getting his food bagged, etc. etc. So the actor was like, "These kinda people should not be working like this," and such for people's reactions to the situation.

But at the end, the kid with downs says, "We do not deserve to be treated like that."

I'm sure he meant like in these situations where the customer is downright discriminating him for no reason, but then it got me thinking... You mean, like, always? So if you were being a bitch, I should respect you just because your have downs? I thought we were trying to get everyone to become equal. That's not equal, that's putting them above people without a mental illness. I find it disgusting when they beg to be equal yet act like they are princesses or princes. Rather, the people who stick up for them are like that... ... The ones I've met, anyways. I'm sure not all of them, I'm positive not all of them.

Do you really think those who are mentally ill should be treated with more respect just because they are so?

Maybe the person with Downs was responding to the arguable offensiveness of using an actor to say those things about him, as though he were a sideshow attraction.

[Tails Turrosaki]

I was watching the show, "What Would You Do?" And there's this one about a kid and he has downs, so he's packing bags in a store.

An actor plays the offensive person and is on the register, getting his food bagged, etc. etc. So the actor was like, "These kinda people should not be working like this," and such for people's reactions to the situation.

But at the end, the kid with downs says, "We do not deserve to be treated like that."

I'm sure he meant like in these situations where the customer is downright discriminating him for no reason, but then it got me thinking... You mean, like, always? So if you were being a bitch, I should respect you just because your have downs? I thought we were trying to get everyone to become equal. That's not equal, that's putting them above people without a mental illness. I find it disgusting when they beg to be equal yet act like they are princesses or princes. Rather, the people who stick up for them are like that... ... The ones I've met, anyways. I'm sure not all of them, I'm positive not all of them.

Do you really think those who are mentally ill should be treated with more respect just because they are so?

Maybe the person with Downs was responding to the arguable offensiveness of using an actor to say those things about him, as though he were a sideshow attraction.

Oh, no, they were both actors.

[Tails Turrosaki]

People with Down's syndrome have what is called a developmental disability, not mental illness. Mental illness is very different. It's a good idea to learn the difference between the two because you could end up offending somebody pretty badly.

Really? I never heard of that... I blame our education system.

[charlou]

I'm sure he meant like in these situations where the customer is downright discriminating him for no reason, but then it got me thinking... You mean, like, always? So if you were being a bitch, I should respect you just because your have downs? I thought we were trying to get everyone to become equal.

You don't have to respect anyone, Tails. I think you should try to consider a person's circumstances, though, when judging their behaviour. That goes for every person ...

[rachelbean]

People with Down's syndrome have what is called a developmental disability, not mental illness. Mental illness is very different. It's a good idea to learn the difference between the two because you could end up offending somebody pretty badly.

Really? I never heard of that... I blame our education system.

Yep, a mental illness or mental disorder is something like schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or depression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_illness

You know, like most of us here

[Tails Turrosaki]

I'm sure he meant like in these situations where the customer is downright discriminating him for no reason, but then it got me thinking... You mean, like, always? So if you were being a bitch, I should respect you just because your have downs? I thought we were trying to get everyone to become equal.

You don't have to respect anyone, Tails. I think you should try to consider a person's circumstances, though, when judging their behaviour. That goes for every person ...

Don't have to, but you should.

[Trolldor]

Quite frankly I'm tired of the pity people flog towards the disabled. Pity is humiliating.

[Feck]

Pity stems from arrogance. I know some very happy people with Down's syndrome . I am not happy should they be pitying me !

I also know a total bastard who happens to be in a wheel chair
He was a nasty vicious bastard before the chair , now I might hold a door open for him because he is in a chair but do I have to "respect" him ..No.

[Rum]

There's no reason to treat someone with a learning disability any differently from anyone else, and if they are up to doing a particular job let them.

When I was a trainee social worker in my mid twenties they were shutting down shit loads of old 'mental institutions' and I assisted in helping one group in setting up a 'group home' for five of them. One of them had Downs and the others had differing, and in a couple of them, undiagnosed disabilities They had been in the same institution for decades, in a couple of cases and back then nobody had helped them look at the potential they had while 'inside'. Over a period of six months between them they learnt to cook, deal with money, shop and get help when they needed it with my direct help or with me getting people to support them.

It was possibly the most satisfying piece of work I have done during my whole career.

I saw of of them a year or so ago in Hereford when I was visiting my parents as it happens.

[Meekychuppet]

I was watching the show, "What Would You Do?" And there's this one about a kid and he has downs, so he's packing bags in a store.

An actor plays the offensive person and is on the register, getting his food bagged, etc. etc. So the actor was like, "These kinda people should not be working like this," and such for people's reactions to the situation.

But at the end, the kid with downs says, "We do not deserve to be treated like that."

I'm sure he meant like in these situations where the customer is downright discriminating him for no reason, but then it got me thinking... You mean, like, always? So if you were being a bitch, I should respect you just because your have downs? I thought we were trying to get everyone to become equal. That's not equal, that's putting them above people without a mental illness. I find it disgusting when they beg to be equal yet act like they are princesses or princes. Rather, the people who stick up for them are like that... ... The ones I've met, anyways. I'm sure not all of them, I'm positive not all of them.

Do you really think those who are mentally ill should be treated with more respect just because they are so?

It depends if you understand how badly the mentally ill have been/continue to be treated. The trouble with righting such wrongs is that you end up having to patronise the disadvantaged.

[charlou]

Derail moved: http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12560