Mental health

Recent publicity concerning the stigma attached to mental illness once again raised my heckles.When I started training in Psychiatry in the 50ths,we were told to try to eliminate the stigma.What have our governments done about it?

It is some time ago now

that I have written

of illness of the mind,

but the more I see,and the more I hear

the more difficult I find

to understand why people

attach to the subject a stigma,

it is an affliction like others

and not a great enigma.

I have been trying to tell people

that our minds

are part of our body too,

not some segregated organ

we simply can eschew.

but will people listen?

I don’t know about you?

I often feel I’m talking to myself,

until my face turns blue.

I am hoping that right now

by talking of mental health

through a movement being founded

By Royalty and people of wealth

all will listen to their pleas

and discard ingrained insanities

that created the dreadful stigma

and finally discard this enigma.

Let us talk now and understand,

and let us all lend a helping hand.

E.W.Peters.           25-01-2017.