Everyone can lost

Most people will probably never visit mental ward. Although the number of people with mental disorder keeps increasing, it's not the first place we thought to seek for help. Simple, people are ashamed to be associated to mental institution. There are still many people locked inside house to avoid neighbors talking about them. Sad.

As an industrial psychologist, I don't go to mental ward on daily basis. Thank God. But, I do feel it's nothing weird to visit once in a while. So, I took chance to enter a psychiatric ward in Prof.DR.W.Z.Johannes Hospital, Kupang, last week. They call it "Empathy Room". There are only 3 patients around and they were all brought in after manic attack. Oh, I'm scare!

However, they just look at me like normal person meeting stranger. I thought it was because I'm using hijab. Perhaps in this land where Moslem is minority, seeing a woman in veil is nothing ordinary. Still, my heart races fast.

Not a fan of Cross Gene's songs "Play with Me", but the pv is mental ward themed

I interviewed the patients' family for my research. But, listening skill is in my blood as psychologist, so I end up getting more information about their beloved ones. A mother is sad to see her son who went berserk. They say he suffers depression because of being unemployed even after 1 year graduated from university. A year can turn someone into beast? Please. I know people who wander longer. Another patient just can't deal with his family business. Hes' only 34 and has some little kids to feed. The last girl in the ward is 29 and she looks completely in control. Her eyes are sharp when she asks one of my pens. She says thank you after I gave her one. 

When I look at these people, I feel sad. If only they know how lucky they are: a husband, a son and a wife. They have their family around to protect them, yet they are broken. They might look like all of us outside. Living life, striving each hard day. nurturing family. But, just remember what Dr.Rintaro said. Don't get deceive by their label. A marriage man can fall apart. A young guy may get lost. 

It's not an easy world we're living now. I know. I just write about the National Exam last week, pointing how our youngsters are so fragile. They have no self efficacy to perform in the exam that they need to rely on cheating. Yes, the tension is getting higher and the kids are not well-prepared to face it. 

If I have to blame someone, then adults must take it all. We let them to be like that. When they're straying away, we're too busy making money (which we thought we do it for them). When they choose easy path, we ignore them as long as they keep quiet. Good performance can't easily pleased parents because we always want some more. Bad attitudes are often swayed by saying, "they're just kids". Hey! Is it so hard to get them learn discipline like our childhood time? I know the era is different, but you still want the same value for them, right?