As someone with Autism I am absolutely appalled that in this state and age we find those with Autism and other learning-difficulties being locked away in mental-health holding cells against their and even in a number of cases, their families will. The conditions they are being kept in, small rooms, the absolute minimum human contact, no windows for natural light, in many cases not able to even see their family, with nothing to do. They are being treated as if they are vicious animals.
I could not think of anything worse for a person with Autism and other types of learning difficulties having to deal with, along with disgusting techniques that include holding down these people when they are pushed into panic attacks by the very inhumane treatment that was meant to better them. This detrimental and archaic practice is a complete failure of the system in both knowing how to deal with Autism and many other mental health problems and also due to a lack of places available that can deal with the needs of these human beings.
What though I find absolutely incomprehensible is using the Mental Health Act to contain these people, even if their family are happy for them to come and live at home, in many cases, these people have gone to get therapy for their mental health only to be sectioned under the mental health act and barred from returning home. This, only serves to make people wearier of seeking help for their problems if this is something that can happen. Only under the absolute worst of cases and the absolute last resort should a person be sectioned under the mental health act.
It is an abuse of the legislation and it should immediately be amended to prevent this appalling abuse of power tantamount to human rights abuse from happening again. The government needs to immediately be working on this problem as for every minute longer these people are kept in this frozen detention state, only serves to make their existing problems worse, and be a further abuse of their right of freedom and independence.
It is sickening to know this is happening and that once again it had to take the media bringing it to light for it to even be considered by the government and many in parliament, who have apparently ignored this problem for many, many years. This to me shows they do not care about these people’s rights, in the fact that they only attempt to do something about it when it is brought to light. This is why we need to keep this within the public light, so it does not get swept again under the rug of carelessness and neglect.
And so, as the election campaign comes into full swing, I type this to remember those who are being kept in appalling and mentally degrading conditions. I still remember this is happening and I will not forget it. We need to shout about this more now with the election campaigns ongoing, to get them to include it and not forget again, about what is happening in our mental health system. Everyone needs to do what they can to keep this high on the agenda.
For many like me, with high-functioning Autism, this only serves us as a reminder that much needs to be done to fully accept us into society and for many of us, is a reason to hide the fact we have Autism and for many who require it, hiding from getting help, just in case they are then subject to such abuses of powers and rights, just because they were not born neurotypical.
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