This thread brings up some interesting points. Just because someone is a few cards short of a full deck, doesn't mean we should banish them to the psych ward for the rest of their lives. However, when that person becomes a threat to themselves and others, you have to draw the line.
Case in point... We put up with a schizophrenic neighbour for the past 8 months. She made our lives miserable. When she was on her meds, she was a sweet, if somewhat odd, older woman. Very friendly, very polite. She had been in and out of institutions and lived on the street for some time, and had finally got her life in order and received a flat (in a very nice location I might add) courtesy of our local council.
She was a bit odd though... She'd talk to herself (no crime), and talk to her cat - long in-depth conversations (again, no crime). She told us in all seriousness that the cat would often give her good advice and tell her secrets... okay... a bit strange, but not hurting anyone.
However she started to have "episodes"... Screaming, howling and arguing in several voices, a lá "The Exorcist" (at first she had us convinced that there was a thug in the flat with her) every so often during the day. These started to happen more and more frequently.
Then they started to happen at night - always around 3:30AM. Not fun in a late 1800s building with rather thin walls. No sleep, not at all.
Then she stopped coming out of the flat during the day - she'd only come out at night to forage through the neighbourhood rubbish and hoard all sorts of treasures. We'd hear her dragging them up the stairs into the building. As you can imagine - this presents a serious health hazard.
Then she started to break things and become aggressive, and her screaming sessions would last for days. She started to break windows and throw things around her flat.
The council was totally ineffective in dealing with her. As a matter of fact, they attempted to paint us as unsympathetic to this poor woman who was trying to reintegrate into society.
We ended up having to call the police. When they came the first time, she attempted to attack one of the officers with a broken bottle.
This happened about 5 or six times, until my wife finally had it. After a solid week of nocturnal ravings, police visits and broken windows she marched down to the council and threatened them with legal action if they didn't get this poor woman some proper medical attention.
It was clear that this woman could not live unsupervised, otherwise she would end up hurting herself or someone else.
... and for those "normal" people who wear those big flashing bluetooth earpieces and babble away in public... They look like rejects from Star Trek or something, wannabe Borgs with big pieces of plastic sticking out of their ears.
They look like right eejits with those things, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing one.
Case in point... We put up with a schizophrenic neighbour for the past 8 months. She made our lives miserable. When she was on her meds, she was a sweet, if somewhat odd, older woman. Very friendly, very polite. She had been in and out of institutions and lived on the street for some time, and had finally got her life in order and received a flat (in a very nice location I might add) courtesy of our local council.
She was a bit odd though... She'd talk to herself (no crime), and talk to her cat - long in-depth conversations (again, no crime). She told us in all seriousness that the cat would often give her good advice and tell her secrets... okay... a bit strange, but not hurting anyone.
However she started to have "episodes"... Screaming, howling and arguing in several voices, a lá "The Exorcist" (at first she had us convinced that there was a thug in the flat with her) every so often during the day. These started to happen more and more frequently.
Then they started to happen at night - always around 3:30AM. Not fun in a late 1800s building with rather thin walls. No sleep, not at all.
Then she stopped coming out of the flat during the day - she'd only come out at night to forage through the neighbourhood rubbish and hoard all sorts of treasures. We'd hear her dragging them up the stairs into the building. As you can imagine - this presents a serious health hazard.
Then she started to break things and become aggressive, and her screaming sessions would last for days. She started to break windows and throw things around her flat.
The council was totally ineffective in dealing with her. As a matter of fact, they attempted to paint us as unsympathetic to this poor woman who was trying to reintegrate into society.
We ended up having to call the police. When they came the first time, she attempted to attack one of the officers with a broken bottle.
This happened about 5 or six times, until my wife finally had it. After a solid week of nocturnal ravings, police visits and broken windows she marched down to the council and threatened them with legal action if they didn't get this poor woman some proper medical attention.
It was clear that this woman could not live unsupervised, otherwise she would end up hurting herself or someone else.
... and for those "normal" people who wear those big flashing bluetooth earpieces and babble away in public... They look like rejects from Star Trek or something, wannabe Borgs with big pieces of plastic sticking out of their ears.
They look like right eejits with those things, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing one.
