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Since I decided to be a psychiatrist fewyears ago, questions are around me, some even came from my friends andfamilies. 当我决定做一名精神科医生的时候，很多质疑在我耳边萦绕，甚至其中有一些来自我的家人和挚友。 “Can you at least choose a better job?” “为什么不选择一份体面的工作？” “You would be surrounded by negative moodevery day!” “天天和病人相处，负面情绪会很多。” Or even: 甚至, “Is there anything wrong with you?” “你有什么要想不开的，从事这样的工作？” I don’t know where their understandings ofpsychiatry come from. In my perspective, it is definitely a noble andrespectful job. 我不知道是什么让他们觉得如此高尚的职业有这么不体面。 And every time I hear their comments, avoice would come from my heart: 每每此时，我心中都会有一个声音： “If it is their understandings of thepsychiatry doctors, how about our patients?” 大家的目光，对医生尚且如此，那么，对精神病患者，又会怎样？ Ok, first let’s look at some data: 先让我们来看一组数据: · 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at some point intheir lives. 每四个人中会有一个人，在他的一生中，经受着心理健康问题的折磨。 · Around 1in 10 children experience mental health problems. 大约十分之一的孩子体会过心理健康问题。 · Depression affects around 1 in 12 of the whole population. 全人类中约1/12受到抑郁的困扰。 · 450 million people worldwidehave a mental health problem. 全世界范围内大约四亿五千万有心理健康问题。 These are surprisingly high incidences,aren’t they? 这是一个触目惊心的高发病率，对吗？ It’s quite likely that one day you, one ofyour friends, colleagues or family members will experience a mental healthproblem. 这就好比说有一天你、你的朋友、同事或者家人将经受心理健康问题的折磨。 Yet mental illness is still surrounded byprejudice, ignorance and fear. 但是心理疾病还是被偏见、无视和恐惧所围绕。 In fact, most people who experience mentalhealth problems recover fully, or are able to live with and manage themselves,especially if they get help early on. 事实上，大多数的心理疾病患者都能痊愈，抑或带病生存并自我管理，尤其是在他们得到早期帮助之后。 But even though so many people are affected,there is a strong social stigma attached to mental ill health, and people withmental health problems can experience discrimination in all aspects of theirlives. 但即使其发病率如此之高，社会对于心理疾病仍存有误解，精神疾病的患者可能在生活的各个方面遭受歧视。 The situation is exacerbated by the media.Media reports often link mental illness with violence, or portray people withmental health problems as dangerous, criminal, evil, or very disabled andunable to live normal, fulfilled lives. 媒体的存在加剧了这种矛盾。媒体报道常常将精神疾病与暴力联系起来，或将精神病患者描绘为危险、邪恶的罪人，或是有严重残疾而不能正常生活的病人。 This is far from the case. As someone who workwith them everyday, I know, for sure, that they are not so scary. 这与事实相去甚远。作为一个每天都和他们打交道的人，我想说的是，他们没有那么可怕。 Many people say that beingdiscriminated against in work and social situations can be a bigger burden thanthe illness itself. 有些病人说：“在工作和社会中遭受的歧视比病痛本身的负担更让我无法承受。” What does this mean? 这意味着什么？ The attitudes people have towards those ofus with mental health problems mean it is harder for them to work, to makefriends and in short, live a normal life. 大众对于存在心理健康问题的人群的这种态度，意味着他们更难以工作、交朋友，或简言之，难以过上正常人的生活。 · Mentally-ill people becomeisolated 精神病患者易被孤立 · They are excluded from everydayactivities 他们常被排除于日常活动之外 · It is harder to get or keep ajob 他们找工作、维持工作的难度增大 · People can be reluctant to seekhelp, which makes recovery slower and more difficult 他们可能因此不愿寻求帮助，使疾病的恢复更缓慢和困难 · Their physical health isaffected. · 他们的机体健康也更可能受损 If we treat them like this,how can we expect them to heal? 我们这么对待他们，你让他们怎么痊愈？
Prejudice can be blind and illogical: 有时，偏见是盲目的、没有逻辑的： “'If I have tumor, there is no stigma tothat. I can still get empathy and help from others. But if my brain doesn'twork well, why should I be ashamed of that?'” Our brain is just another organ. “如果我得了肿瘤，我还能获得大多数人的同情和帮助。但现在仅仅是我的大脑不能正常工作，为什么我应当为此感到羞耻呢？”大脑只是我们的另一个器官而已。 People will readily admit to takingmedicine for migraine, but if I am taking medication for some kind of mentalproblem, which also occurs in the brain, why am I supposed to hide that? 人们可以很容易承认他们正因为偏头痛而服药，但如果我仅仅是因为一些心理或精神问题而服药，同样是脑部出了问题，为什么我就必须隐瞒不说呢？ What can we do? 我们能做什么？ Remember: 记住： · It’s not funny, for them it’spainful sufferings 记住这并不好笑，这对他们来说是欲罢不能的痛楚。 · It’s not scary. Everybody canbe ill. Don’t avoid them purposely 记住这并不可怕，你我都会得病，不要刻意躲避他们。 · If the person seems reallyunwell, and you are worried about their safety, you should encourage them toseek help. 如果他们看上去情况很糟，你担心他们的安全，那你应该鼓励他们寻求帮助。 · If they try to ask for yourhelp, please do your best to provide confidential, non-judgmental emotional supportfor them. You can phone, email, write a letter or in most cases talk to them faceto face. 如果他们寻求你的帮助，尽可能为他们提供保密且不带有评判性的情感支持。你可以给他们打电话、写邮件或面对面交流。 · For those who are potentiallysuicidal, please keep company with them, and try to convince them to seekmedical aid. 对于有潜在自杀风险的患者，请尽量陪伴他们，并尽力说服他们接受医学上的帮助。 Change takes time. I understand that evenif I keep telling you that they are not dangerous and that what they need ismore love and care, you will still be a little hesitant. 改变不是一个一蹴而就的过程，我知道，就算我跟你们一遍遍说他们并不可怕，他们更需要关爱，你们的心里还是隐隐约约有点犯怵。 Maybe it is not easy to change yourattitude in a short period of time. But I hope when you see such patientsthereafter, you could at least alter your way of thinking and don't treat themlike freaks. 你可能并没有什么行动，可至少，当你下一次看到那些人的时候，或许你心里会想，是不是我应该换一种角度看待他们。 Lastly, I would like to tell you thatbecoming a psychiatrist is the single most correct path I have chosen. I amproud of this career and myself, Thank you! 最后我想说，能够成为一名精神科医生，是我有史以来做出的最正确的选择，我深爱这份职业并且为此快乐和骄傲。 |
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