Moving into a recovery pattern with the help of community
December 12, 2017
Janie (not her real name) is a 33 years old woman from Kakiri who had her hopes for a meaningful life disrupted by the onset of severe depression with psychosis which went untreated for at least a year. Janie has seven children from three different men. A month before she was brought to the hospital, Janie physically abused her children at home. Her family members brought her to Butabika mental hospital as a way of excluding her from the community when her behavior showed features of severe mental disorder: attempted suicide, attempted homicide, violence, talking to herself, and destroying property.
On the night she was brought to the mental hospital, she ran and fell into to a deep pit, full of dirty water. In a bid to rescue her, her father too fell into the water but was able to pull her out. She was then taken to the Kakiri police station and referred to Butabika hospital where she was admitted for two months, and did not receive any visitors. Once she was stabilized with medication, and ready for discharge, she could not leave the hospital because her family was not ready to welcome her back. It is with this background that the YouBelong team began to engage with Janie and her family.
During the pre-discharge assessment and the first family visit, we learnt that there are conflict relationships between Janie and the elder sister. “She is not a human being, she is an animal” one of the neighbors commented during the pre-discharge family visit. The people in the community were so anxious about Janie returning home as she had previously caused significant harm to her family and neighbors. Even after having a discussion about Janie’s mental health condition with the family and the neighbors, they were still resistant to accept her Janie has been denied her right to live in her own house; her children have been taken away from her without her consent, and community members believe that she cannot ever live with other people. With a disapproving glance, her elder sister told us that she cannot live with her sister again.. “She should not come here, or else I leave” her sister said.
It is in this complex situation that YouBelong workers attempt — through education, support, guidance, and counselling — to assist Janie, her family, and the local community, to show how Janie can move into a recovery pattern, stabilize her symptoms, and again be a part of family and her local village community.
