The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-05
Mental Hygiene

The recent report of the Waterbury
Society for Mental Hygiene which to the
average reader is seemingly proSaic and
routine, contains a hidden and subtle
Importance that must not be overlooked.
Mental illnesses today are perhaps more
prevalent than at any previous time in
the recorded history of civilization
We are not attempting here to find the
reasons why. However, it is not solely
the wartime tempo, as statistics reveal
that before the outbreak of this war one
out of every ten persons in this country
suffered some form of this illness while
one out of every twenty required hos
pitaliZation and treatments. When
properly considered these figures are
appalling.
The victim of a mental illness, in
severe type, is unfortunately still looked
upon by society, in general, as someone
with stigma. This is regrettable. The
victim, the patient, shoulS no more be
viewed as someone stigmatized than
should the victim of heart condition,
or an amputation of limb or any other
physical ailment.
Mental illness is just that - an ILL
ness. And in the majority of cases the
victim is no mere directly to blame than
denly d'EcoverS that he or she is a heart
condition victim. The heart is an organ,
tangible and real-and so is the brain.
Simply because the brain is the impe-
tus of all our outward actions - likened
to the automatic starter on an automo-
bile - this tends to accentuate he ill
ness thus giving to it a more pronounced
outwardly visible reaction.
The average layman knows so little
about the human brain Tor mind, his
own or that of anyone, that he should
never condemn or Scorn or look with con-
descending pity upon the victim OF a
mental illness. Like any illness it can
strike anyone, at any time. Victims have
been described as situated in their plight
because of their selfish nature, or be-
cause they are self-centered, thoughtless
or unreasonable and weak. To label
anyone, so suffering, in this way, only
tends to label the accuSer with the very
same characteristics.
It is recognized as one of civilizations
worst illnesses. The severely afflicted
victim suffers in a manner, constantly,
that is almost indeScribable, while at the
same time his cure is mainly matter
of his doing. Persons who have under
gone this illness have described their
aCCempC 10 'cOme-DacK as a True expires
sion of ''lifting up ones self by the boot
straps. In the midst Of the illness,
minute can be century and century
a minute Life loses it's identity and
warmth and the world loses it's scope.
The field of public education relative
to mental illnesses is of tremendous
breadth with it's work still in the pioneer
stage. Even the highly trained psychia-
trio workers are still in the dark concern
ing the greater portion of this type ILL
ness. A greater public interest and
greater public dissemination of knowledge
as to what is known about this affliction
should be participated in.
We have such worthwhile endeavors as
cancer control month, tuberculosis drives,
rehabilitation information and others.
Why not a mental hygiene month or some
thing similar, when direct, forceful and
sympathetic publicity and Instrumentation
of facts relative to this matter can be
INDUCED in? Let us take this illness out
Of the darkness where it has been SO
unfairly and regrettably exiled into an
oStraciSm, for so long-and too long!