Tell Me I'm Here
In the 1970s and into the 1980s, before communities were ready with services to cope with demand, deinstitutionalisation was carried out in the mental health area. These resulted in the neglect of people with severe mental health issues, leading to homelessness, abuse of medications, and even gaol. Anne Deveson’s son, Jonathan, fell ill with a mental illness during these years. In her book, ‘Tell Me I’m Here’, she describes what it was like as a mother to have a child descend into madness during those times. She was unable to find help, or even a diagnosis for many years. , and many of them had side-effects. One doctor said it was schizophrenia, and another declared there was no such thing! When Jonathan became violent, her only option was to call the police, who often did not come, or when they eventually did, Jonathan had calmed down. A coercive intervention was not possible, and Anne bounced from one doctor to another, seeking help that was not available. After ...