5/18/2002: Mental patient in Sierra Leone

[Undertoad]

From MSNBC comes this shot, more artistic than journalistic, on what it's like to be a mental patient in Sierra Leone. You're chained to the floor with a badpan, and your family and/or friends are expected to give you a mat to lie on.

This is eerily similar to an Image of the Day from India that looked like a pretty similar setup.

It's sad, isn't it?

[Nic Name]

Note to self: a badpan is a bedpan, sans the bed.

[sleemanj]

Originally posted by Undertoad

It's sad, isn't it?

Yes, but it's just a different culture. To westernized countries, we take pity on the sick and mentally deficient, we look after them and generally make sure thier needs are met (now, it hasn't always been that way, quite recently for some countries) and they live as happy and fulfilled a life as possible.

But in other cultures the sick are relegated to situations like these, probably to live a short meaningless life, pretty much as would have happened if natural selection had it's way.

It's kinda like eating dogs, the western world throws up it's arms, eastern cultures thrown them in the pot (and the reverse can be said about some other animals).

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by sleemanj
Yes, but it's just a different culture. To westernized countries, we take pity on the sick and mentally deficient, we look after them and generally make sure thier needs are met (now, it hasn't always been that way, quite recently for some countries) and they live as happy and fulfilled a life as possible.

Even today in the US, many still look upon the mentally ill with contempt. There's still that stigma attached, particularly to those that need more intensive care.

[Slight]

I just noticed why I don't like this photo. The subject's face is not shown; as if this body is not human.

Originally posted by sycamore

Even today in the US, many still look upon the mentally ill with contempt. There's still that stigma attached, particularly to those that need more intensive care.

So does the photographer harbor this same contempt? Or is the subject framed off camera to bring attention to the issue and not the idividual? Or maybe it is to evoke the displeasure I have in seeing his bondage and not his torment. Anyway the truth is how you tell it.

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by Slight
So does the photographer harbor this same contempt?

My post was directed at sleemanj's comments, and not at the actual photograph.

Any of your interpretations could very well be true, slight, although I doubt he has any contempt for them. There are some more disturbing images on the Galbe web site, including what appears to be an actual photograph of this individual. Here is a caption:

"Inmates of the city Mental Hospital in a ward 'housing' eight committed patients. The inmates are all chained the floor and have a bedpan next to them. Most have been committed by family members concerned by their violent behavior, often precipitated by drug abuse."

[Undertoad]

Awesome find there, and awesome site that just gave us tomorrow's iotd.