The Mentally Ill

[VintageTQ]

Are these people totally abandoned in Thai society?.

There are so many people you see on the streets of Bangkok that clearly need some help and i just wondered if there was any help available to them. There is one particular guy i see regularly when walking along near Sukhumvit soi 25/27 who is in a real bad way and desperately needs some help, and i just it find it very very sad that he isnt taken in and given some care. I wish i could offer something but not sure what i can do and could probably end up getting myself into a difficult situation.

I understand there is a certain level of health care available to citizens here so i just wonder why the people with real mental health issues are taken into hospital, forcibly if needed and given the treatment they obviously need.

[chiang mai]

There are a number of phsyciatric hospitals around Thailand, there's a large one in Chiang Mai near the centre of the town although it seems that patients need to be refered there by a local doctor rather than just show up. I think in general the rules in Thai society are that the local community will look after individuals needing care, until it gets to a point there they no longer can do so, how that relates to individuals you might see on the streets I'm not sure.

But I have been inside the hospital in CM and its facilities are pretty extensive and I was actually quite impressed by the degree of care that was provided. There were some sixteen patients in a bed ward that I visited when one of my wife's family had a drink related accident and the local doctor thought he had gone crazy, in fact he was suffering from a range of physical ailments and injuries that produced phsycotic symptoms and the doctors discovered those things very quickly - the remaining occupants of the ward however were pretty scary!.

[mrtoad]

I haven't been that impressed from what I have seen from the Psychiatric Services here. We have one gentleman in our village, who has Schizophrenia, he almost goes on three month cycles - well, stops taking meds, becomes acutley unwell, gets carted off to the Psychiaric Hospital for a couple of weeks, and then returns and follows the same cycle. The last time he beat up his mother and stabbed his father. He is back again in the village, and is now starting to become unwell again. Bascially, there appears to be little follow up, if any, and only when things go wrong does something happen. It's pretty sad.

[krisb]

I asked my wife. Family look after them usually. If no family then neighbours can help. If they are homeless then it's a matter of unless they hurt themselves or more so someone else, then the police become involved which would see them get sent to doctors etc and I assume mental hospitals. I think in Bangkok it's called see tun ya? Forgive me if I'm wrong there. I find it quite disturbing seeing some of the really rough homeless in Thailand coming from a country like Australia. It's very confronting indeed.

[krisb]

I haven't been that impressed from what I have seen from the Psychiatric Services here. We have one gentleman in our village, who has Schizophrenia, he almost goes on three month cycles - well, stops taking meds, becomes acutley unwell, gets carted off to the Psychiaric Hospital for a couple of weeks, and then returns and follows the same cycle. The last time he beat up his mother and stabbed his father. He is back again in the village, and is now starting to become unwell again. Bascially, there appears to be little follow up, if any, and only when things go wrong does something happen. It's pretty sad.

I wouldn't blame Thailand so much, it's a problem lots of schizophrenia sufferers have in that the meds work, the patient feels like they are better and stop taking them. Next thing, bang.

[kannot]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Edited April 28, 2013 by kannot

[stiggy]

The regular care here is for mental illness is quite poor, I have been several times to these facilities when expats/Thai's I known, have had issues and ended up there.

As patients generally they are heavily medicated and misunderstood, diagnosis is very hit and miss.

Out side these facilities especially amongst the less educated Thais, superstition takes over.People with Anxiety or schizophrenia for example, are said to be haunted from a past life.As for depression the Bhuddist attitude of life is a cycle of events takes over, and people just wait for a relapse or improvement. No CBT therapy or medication is sadly often the case for these cases.

Private health care here provides the only real hope, its expensive and fairly hard to find a good Physc Dr.The drugs however are generally cutting edge albeit expensive.

Edited April 28, 2013 by stiggy

[arthurwait]

You do see plenty of homeless mentally ill people here, what came first though we will never know. What you see less of is mentally ill people who are looked after by their families.

There are people here with a wide variety of education and understanding and varying wealth here. There are good facilties available if you have the money for them and your family or friends understand what is going on.

My wife has put up with bouts of depression for almost 13 years but she understands it and is very well educated and more than wealthy enough to afford decent doctors when I had a bout of severe depression at the end of last year. One of her cousins is on anti-depressants but again they can afford they treatment they need.

On the flip side one of my friends from back home has a village girl as a girlfriend whose both parents died by the time she was 13. She had a breakdown a few months back and her family were just taking her from one shamen/witch doctor/ moron to another who poked her with sticks amongst other things to cure her. For 6 weeks he's had to put up with this rubbish and them trying to get money out of him. He's now managed to get her away from the low educated family and to the UK where he will be paying for her treatment. If she didn't have him I imagine very soon she would be another lost cause walking the streets being laughed at by idiots.

[muythai2013]

This has got to be a joke, have you seen the amount of nutters on the streets in Australia.

I see very few in Thailand in comparison.

[muythai2013]

In thailand the mentally ill are abandoned by their wives after they bleed them dry.

They are called lonely expats,they are everywhere.

[geriatrickid]

We've had this discussion before as it relates to the dire shortage of mental health professionals. In plain language, Thailand has an insufficient number of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists for its population. The burden of care falls upon social workers who have neither the tools nor the training to treat the conditions. A social worker may be able to help with some of the behavioural issues, but cannot be expected to do much when the cause is organic.

The SOP is to medicate the patient. Often there is no follow up to determine if the dosing is correct or if the medications are even correct. In Thailand, it is the GP that typically prescribes the medications for the mentally ill. In other countries, many powerful drugs used for the treatment of mental illness are restricted or supervised to the extent that only qualified physicians are allowed to prescribe. Thailand like many other countries has a large number of the mentally ill incarcerated, because it doesn't have enough treatment beds for the mentally ill.

Keep in mind that mental illness has a stigma in Asia. It is not a subject that people want to discuss, nor is it one people wish to admit to. Having a mentally ill person in the family is still considered "shameful" for some. Look at the way the elderly with dementia or Alzheimer's are treated. Thailand has a long way to go, because of its population size but it has started with its Alzheimer awareness outreach effort. Only a few short decades ago, basic immunizations were not widespread and there was a higher level of child malnutrition. Thailand improved in that regard, and it will improve over time in its approach to the mentally ill.

[Phronesis]

I was driving up to Khao Lak from Phuket mid morning last year.

I went through the main street of Thai Muang and then took the sharp right turn to head north out of town. At that time of the morning there are a number of street food vendors set up there on either side of the road.

Walking down the hill on the other side of the road was a middle aged Thai man...naked as the day he was born.

He had one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen here in LOS and appeared to be having a wow of a time out for a stroll in his birthday suit.

The women who run the street stalls were screaming and running off waving their hands above their heads.

Old mate wasn't doing anything sex crime like...he was just out for a stoll.

He didn't have a malnourished banged up homeless look about him.

In fact he looked just like your mainstream middle class Thai bloke...except he was starkers.

I think many people and quite happy with their frame of mind....until other people tell them they are crazy...

Edited April 28, 2013 by Phronesis

[itchybum]

Can you admit somebody or just drop them off yourself at one of these places?

[stiggy]

Private you can take them, but unless they agree and you have the money no chance of admission.

Government run, last place you want to take someone unless self harm is on the cards.

The police will if pushed take someone to government facility.

Seen a few expats in trouble claim mental issues as the excuse behind there actions and trying to dodge prison, they very quickly change there story after a matter of hours in a mental health correctional facility.

[mrtoad]

I haven't been that impressed from what I have seen from the Psychiatric Services here. We have one gentleman in our village, who has Schizophrenia, he almost goes on three month cycles - well, stops taking meds, becomes acutley unwell, gets carted off to the Psychiaric Hospital for a couple of weeks, and then returns and follows the same cycle. The last time he beat up his mother and stabbed his father. He is back again in the village, and is now starting to become unwell again. Bascially, there appears to be little follow up, if any, and only when things go wrong does something happen. It's pretty sad.

I wouldn't blame Thailand so much, it's a problem lots of schizophrenia sufferers have in that the meds work, the patient feels like they are better and stop taking them. Next thing, bang.

That's why there are community teams that also adminster depot injections on a regular basis in other countries. GK is right in that there is a dire shortage of MHP's in Thailand.

[meom]

This has got to be a joke, have you seen the amount of nutters on the streets in Australia.

I see very few in Thailand in comparison.

Maybe that's because the majority of Aussie's live like robots. Take out one little chip and they stop functioning.

Thais on the other hand are much more tough and even with a few wires missing just grind on.

[keestha]

Filthy unkempt people walking along busy motorways, I have repeatedly seen a few cases. Once a Thai man told me that as long as they live, nobody wants to know them, but when they have a fatal accident loving relatives turn up who claim compensation from the person who drove the car.

[itchybum]

This guy lives in a bus shelter.

Modest too.

.

Edited April 29, 2013 by itchybum

[Travel2003]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Sorry, but I frankly do not believe you.

[Travel2003]

This has got to be a joke, have you seen the amount of nutters on the streets in Australia.

I see very few in Thailand in comparison.

I agree.

In the western societies we have tried to integrate mentally challenged people into the society, by giving them easy tasks, and/or assisted tasks jobs, in order to try to give them a chance to function somewhat.

We can see mentally chellenged people all around us these days.

In Thailand, the majority are kept at home, or out of the public eye.

[harrry]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Sorry, but I frankly do not believe you.

Neither do I.

I know someone who has needed a couple of stays in a Thai psychiatric hospital and the care given was fantastic. Follow up treatment involves a 3 monthly visit to a specialist (not a psychiatris but a doctor who deals mainly with this) at the regional hospital and medication. It is up to the family to ensure medication is maintained regularly. The only person who can take her to hospital aginst her will are here family. The Police will only generally act if major harm is anticipated.

Medication is possibly heavier than currently used in the west but of good quality and type considering they cannot use the latest because of excessive pharmacutical company pricing.

[MrHammer]

The regular care here is for mental illness is quite poor, I have been several times to these facilities when expats/Thai's I known, have had issues and ended up there.

As patients generally they are heavily medicated and misunderstood, diagnosis is very hit and miss.

Out side these facilities especially amongst the less educated Thais, superstition takes over.People with Anxiety or schizophrenia for example, are said to be haunted from a past life.As for depression the Bhuddist attitude of life is a cycle of events takes over, and people just wait for a relapse or improvement. No CBT therapy or medication is sadly often the case for these cases.

Private health care here provides the only real hope, its expensive and fairly hard to find a good Physc Dr.The drugs however are generally cutting edge albeit expensive.

And this is different from western countries how? Maybe it is different in the US, but in most European countries, psychiatric patients are treated like dirt and subject to forced medication, forced incarceration without trial. Many, many people die because of wrong use of medicine. In Denmark where I'm from, 3 people died in one month alone because they had been so heavily medicated. The truth is that many mental illnesses have very real causes. One does not suddenly become scizophrenic overnight because of 'chemical imbalances' but rather it is almost always a result of emotional childhood or adult trauma, coupled with depersonilization and a distached sense of reality because of never having been allowed to properly develop a strong sense of self. Of course, using that line of thought you might want to have a look at parents of the mentally ill and that is something which few doctors like to do. That is why they make up nonsense about 'chemical imbalances' which can only be treated by a lifetime supply of pharmaceuticals.

[farangme]

The regular care here is for mental illness is quite poor, I have been several times to these facilities when expats/Thai's I known, have had issues and ended up there.

As patients generally they are heavily medicated and misunderstood, diagnosis is very hit and miss.

Out side these facilities especially amongst the less educated Thais, superstition takes over.People with Anxiety or schizophrenia for example, are said to be haunted from a past life.As for depression the Bhuddist attitude of life is a cycle of events takes over, and people just wait for a relapse or improvement. No CBT therapy or medication is sadly often the case for these cases.

Private health care here provides the only real hope, its expensive and fairly hard to find a good Physc Dr.The drugs however are generally cutting edge albeit expensive.

And this is different from western countries how? Maybe it is different in the US, but in most European countries, psychiatric patients are treated like dirt and subject to forced medication, forced incarceration without trial. Many, many people die because of wrong use of medicine. In Denmark where I'm from, 3 people died in one month alone because they had been so heavily medicated. The truth is that many mental illnesses have very real causes. One does not suddenly become scizophrenic overnight because of 'chemical imbalances' but rather it is almost always a result of emotional childhood or adult trauma, coupled with depersonilization and a distached sense of reality because of never having been allowed to properly develop a strong sense of self. Of course, using that line of thought you might want to have a look at parents of the mentally ill and that is something which few doctors like to do. That is why they make up nonsense about 'chemical imbalances' which can only be treated by a lifetime supply of pharmaceuticals.

You clearly have no understanding of the causes for mental illness. You're patent dismissal of chemical imbalances shows you're about fifty years behind the curve. You do a disservice to others when making posts such as yours. While not a total solution, the proper use of medication can help most suffering from mental illness. The fact that some doctors over-medicate patients is a problem with doctors, not the proper course of treatment. A combination of behavioral, psychological and medication therapy are often the best approach. It's a complex balancing act. And yes, Thailand is decades behind regarding treatment for the majority of the population due to poor education, poverty and superstitions.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[NeverSure]

I thought they locked all of the mentally ill in a big room and made them post on ThaiVisa.

[kannot]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Sorry, but I frankly do not believe you.

I'd be happy to show you in fact take you to this place near Bangkok, where you can go and feed the patients.

let me see if i can find a photo I had a video of a friend who was there with me at the time, this is not a video of the patients but of the friend I may be able to see the name of the place in this video. I f not Ill ask my Wife and post the details.

Would that do?

We had to take some food and gifts for this place, seen I think as making merit, it was not a temple.

We handed out their lunches and spoon fed some of them.

Why would I want to make this up?

Ive asked her where the place was so you can look it up, here is a photo of them at an orphanage somewhere, the company goes quiet often which is how we went to the mental hospital.

My Wife is in the photo but Im not saying which one.

The mental hospital was like something out of Victorian England.

Edited May 1, 2013 by kannot

[wellred]

Not really Thailand related but I thought id throw in my 2 satangs, or rather cents in this case. I was in Seattle not too long ago on business and the number of oddballs walking around was astonishing. People mumbling to themselves, all sorts and this was even during mornings. At night it was even worse. I remember at the time speaking with some colleagues and I likened it to walking around in the game grand theft auto what with all the random people. Is there a problem with mentally ill people in Seattle? One guy joked they were all ex execs from Microsoft gone crazy.

[kannot]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Sorry, but I frankly do not believe you.

Neither do I.

I know someone who has needed a couple of stays in a Thai psychiatric hospital and the care given was fantastic. Follow up treatment involves a 3 monthly visit to a specialist (not a psychiatris but a doctor who deals mainly with this) at the regional hospital and medication. It is up to the family to ensure medication is maintained regularly. The only person who can take her to hospital aginst her will are here family. The Police will only generally act if major harm is anticipated.

Medication is possibly heavier than currently used in the west but of good quality and type considering they cannot use the latest because of excessive pharmacutical company pricing.

This is not some hi so run hospital for farangs, this is a charitable hospital given next to no funding by the govt who couldn't care less and provide even less via the state system here.

Let me see if i can find out the name from my Wife.

It was pretty awful maybe too much for both of you to believe??

I know a lot about mental illness My Mother worked in MONYHULL HOSPITAL in the UK you can look that up, its now closed a housing estate "care in the community" ( ie no care) and my Brother is mentally handicapped living in a MENCAP HOME in Sheldon Birmingham you can look that up too if you want.

I often as a kid used to go and read to the inmates at Monyhull Hospital so I KNOW what mental healthcare is like and what it was like in the place I went to here in Thailand.

This was long term care not a short term visit kind of place.

Edited May 1, 2013 by kannot

[itchybum]

I thought they locked all of the mentally ill in a big room and made them post on ThaiVisa.

No, that'd be the mods room.

[kannot]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Sorry, but I frankly do not believe you.

Here's the info off my Wife where you can go and feed the inmates, go there for yourself and really see what its like.

ติดต่อ

สมาคมคนพิการแห่งประเทศไทย

73/7-8 ซอยติวานนท์ 8 ถนนติวานนท์ ตำบลตลาดขวัญ

อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดนนทบุรี 11000

โทรศัพท์ 0-2951-0445 , 0-2951-0447 ,

0-2951-0569 , 0-2951-0455 , 0-29510337 แฟ๊กซ์ 0-2951-0567

[rubberduck]

I've found it to be a case of entertaining the general public here more than anything.

"Come see the animals in the zoo"

I've been to such places where you can "feed the patients"

I found it quite disgusting but it appears its the best way to get funding in as people visiting often bring food/ money/clothes etc etc

Sorry, but I frankly do not believe you.

Here's the info off my Wife where you can go and feed the inmates, go there for yourself and really see what its like.

ติดต่อ

สมาคมคนพิการแห่งประเทศไทย

73/7-8 ซอยติวานนท์ 8 ถนนติวานนท์ ตำบลตลาดขวัญ

อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดนนทบุรี 11000

โทรศัพท์ 0-2951-0445 , 0-2951-0447 ,

0-2951-0569 , 0-2951-0455 , 0-29510337 แฟ๊กซ์ 0-2951-0567

what is it like ?