Intellectual disability is caused by physical, genetic and social factors. Persons diagnosed with intellectual disability can be assisted to reach their full potential and to cope with the more complex aspects of daily living. Mental or intellectual disability is a permanent condition.
So what is Psychiatric illness? It is a mental or emotional disorder diagnosed by a psychiatrist affecting brain function and thinking patterns, behaviours, communication, the way a person feels and acts, sometimes having inappropriate behaviour i.e. depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia etc. It can affect anyone and is usually diagnosed in early adulthood. It is not clear what causes mental illness but the contributing factors can be psychological, environmental, genetic or biological. Psychiatric illness needs ongoing treatment, support and rehabilitation groups. This usually goes together with medication and, with the right support, can lead to healthy productive lives.
What is Mental health? It is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a state of mind of well-being, where their abilities are realized and persons cope with normal stresses of life. Persons can work productively and are able to make a meaningful contribution to society- “Durban and Coastal Mental Health Society”
So when we talk about having good mental health it is basically assisting persons to cope with the daily onslaught of life in a constructive manner. There is still so much stigma surrounding mental health, intellectual disability and psychiatric illness in our society - we need to be aware of how we ourselves contribute to or break down the stigma.
At Cluny Farm we believe that each person has the ability to contribute in his/ her own way to society and we do not treat people differently or special. Persons have basic human rights to be observed and we believe this can be achieved by cultivating inclusion and not just integration.