British mother's anguish over son's drowning death in Phuket

[webfact]

Mother's anguish over son's drowning death in Thailand after he had stopped taking his bipolar medication
Helen Palin, whose son Sebastian drowned while in Phuket said 'he should still be here'

MILFORD HAVEN: -- The mother of a mentally unstable man told an inquest their family was ‘let down by police’ and the Foreign Office who she said, despite their pleas, failed to prevent him boarding a flight to Thailand where he later drowned.

Sebastian Robert Palin, 31, a former Swansea University student, had been suffering with bipolar affective disorder but had stopped taking his medication when he flew to Phuket in February this year.

Mr Palin who grew up in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, lived in Plymouth with his wife of three years Victoria.

'Signs of a breakdown'

An inquest into his death in Milford Haven Town Hall on Thursday heard how Mr Palin showed signs of a breakdown in December 2013 and was being supported and treated for his symptoms.

But in February, after a period of days missing, he took a flight to Thailand leaving his medication behind.

Full story: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/mothers-anguish-over-sons-drowning-9527350

-- Wales Online 2015-06-26

[micmichd]

Mr Palin decided to stop medication and go to Thailand. Mrs Palin says he should have been arrested and forced to take medicine.

Even if he was bipolar (a doubtful diagnosis): Should be not be allowed a free decision?

[sammygood]

thailand is not really the best place to go when you go off your meds

too many temptations

rip the boy / man

[robblok]

Mr Palin decided to stop medication and go to Thailand. Mrs Palin says he should have been arrested and forced to take medicine.

Even if he was bipolar (a doubtful diagnosis): Should be not be allowed a free decision?

Of course he should have his own free choice. Things like this happen, just think how low his quality of life was if they locked him up.

[micmichd]

thailand is not really the best place to go when you go off your meds

too many temptations

rip the boy / man

From my own experience:

Thailand can be a perfect place to get off meds, at least if you have someone to take care for you.

RIP, Mr Palin

[micmichd]

Almost everything is better than to get locked up in a psychiatric hospital.

They put a label on you, and you might suffer from that label for the rest of your life - even after they let you out, and even if they find out that their diagnosis was wrong.

Edited June 26, 2015 by micmichd

[Gandtee]

Once again, a Brit blaming the authorities for allowing a person to do something of their own freewill. Sad for the family, but are we becoming a nation expecting the authorities to run or lives for us? There is too much intrusion by Big Brother now. And I'm a Brit.

[steelepulse]

Was this ever reported when it happened? I don't recall this as during February the seas are usually calm so a drowning death would surely be noticed.

[Ulic]

The tragedies of mental illness. It is the families dealing during and after that are

the biggest sufferers. Those with mental illness don't grasp the problem they have.

[micmichd]

The families don't only have the problems, in many cases they are the problems.

In this case, Mr Palin made a free decision to get out of this mess and live his own life. Mrs Palin didn't want to accept this, she is the problem.

What does she complain about now?

[micmichd]

So we've all got to be interrogated at check-in in case for a one in a zillion reasons we must be detained...........

or compelled to provide a 'travel oK' certificate from a psycho doctor before check-out.

[micmichd]

So we've all got to be interrogated at check-in in case for a one in a zillion reasons we must be detained...........

or compelled to provide a 'travel oK' certificate from a psycho doctor before check-out.

I was never given one.......

I was forced to get one, and I've got one. I've actually got an 'expat oK' certificate

And now they're afraid I come back.

Edited June 26, 2015 by micmichd

[stevenl]

Was this ever reported when it happened? I don't recall this as during February the seas are usually calm so a drowning death would surely be noticed.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/803140-body-of-british-man-found-floating-in-sea-off-phuket/

[fiddlehead]

I have a nephew who is bipolar and has gone off his meds 2 times in the past 8 years or so, that I know of.
He got in a lot of trouble when off.
He is a completely different person.
RIP to the man who died.
Sorry to hear the mother tried, but failed to stop him, but, I guess when you are 31, the law let's you decide if you are able or not.

[cookee68]

cant blame anyone for that as sad as it is , it is nobody else's fault