Treat mentally ill with dignity

Mentally ill patients do not want to be treated like they are crazy.

This is according to schizophrenia patient Vusumzi Rholashe, who was one of the patients from Tower Psychiatric Hospital that took part in a 5km fun walk.

“We enjoyed the walk but we are tired now. People in the community know that we are sick. It hurts our feelings when people look at us as if we are crazy because of the mental illnesses we have.

“As people with mental illnesses we want people to know that anyone and everyone can have a mental illness. It is nondiscriminatory.

“We are just like everyone else and we should be treated with care like everyone else,” he said.

Rholashe said they wanted their families to accept them back into their lives.

“We are taking medication and treating our different conditions just like they treat whatever ailments they have,” he said.

Rholashe has been at Tower for 16 years and would like to get discharged one day.

“I am not married but I have lots of children. I cannot count the number of children I have. I would like to get out of hospital so that I can work for my children,” the 53-year-old said.

Sipho Mabhongo, who lives with bipolar disorder, said the stigma attached to having a mental illness was disheartening.

“I am on medication but people think we have a slavish mentality and we must work for nothing. We are called ugly names which hurt and in the process you lose your dignity,” he said.

Mabhongo said people with mental illnesses were treated as if they do not have rights.

“We have the right to say no without feeling guilty,” he said.

Mabhongo, 36, became sick when he was in Grade 11 in 1999, and that has delayed his dreams of becoming a teacher or a lawyer.