Columns

It is harder than it was in the not so distant past for those with psychiatric illness to survive, live independently, and remain in a non-institutionalized situation. Various parties within the government and the business community have created rules and have created a scenario in which persons with disabilities, especially psychiatric, are being forced out. This entails submitting to institutionalization, excessive supervision, and the segregation that exists (which is partly classist segregation and partly segregation by means of keeping us sequestered by mental health treatment organizations).  

And, under Trump, if he is elected, it will get far uglier.  

Mr. Trump has made his stamp on the social environment even before being elected. Even if he is not elected, American culture will be changed for the worse for years to come.  

I don't know exactly what happened to this man. About ten or fifteen years ago, he was known by most people as a very ambitious billionaire who had major successes in real estate. Over time, his image, if not his personality, darkened. His battles against Rosie O'Donnell about fifteen years ago seemed to mark the beginning of his public combativeness.  

He seemed to feed off having a television presence, one in which he was known for being a showman and for acting like a tough businessman. In the past, he may have even been on friendly terms with the Clintons. Then, at some indefinable point, the Darth Vader thing seemed to happen.  

My point is that Donald Trump has awakened evil forces within our society. This began when white racists were outraged that an African American person had become our President. Trump tapped into that hate, fed on it, and fanned its flames. And now, those inclined to be peaceful, kind, and nonviolent, are going to be forced to live in this new, oftentimes hostile environment that is coming about.  

Disabled people already had a full plate with changes that have come about through newer technologies, social media, more restrictions in society, and more complexity to sift through, in the quest to get basic needs met. Add the new, hate politics and you are creating a very harsh environment to which to adapt.  

Persons with psychiatric disabilities doubtless will have difficulty with all of this. Some have seemed to disappear, possibly incarcerated, institutionalized, or deceased. I have seen a generation of high functioning mentally ill adults seem to dematerialize.  

At one time, there was a highly active, creative, and odd (sometimes odd is good) class of mentally ill people. Many were eccentric. Some, admittedly were just plain weird. At one time, it was okay to be a little weird. Now things are more conformist.  

The government has become more violent, and it seems to intentionally spit out of the system those who aren't able to obey ridiculous and sometimes impossible rules, or fake it.  

My wife and I paid an outrageously high electricity bill, possibly caused by the smart-meter that P G and E installed. Now we are in trouble because we paid this ridiculous sum. If we had obeyed the unspoken rules, we would be tearing our hair out, overdrawing our bank accounts, and we would be delinquent on our P G and E. That doesn't work for me--the electricity bill comes right off the top along with rent at the beginning of every month.  

Society is denying many of their right to exist. If you look at cities harassing and persecuting homeless people, you will see part of this. If you look at the "social engineering" that seems to be taking place, there isn't a niche provided for people with disabilities.  

We have to get by as best we can, and if we have parents or other family who be of emotional support and physical help, if we can maintain our recovery despite disturbing content when we watch the news, if we can obey all of the rules given to us, some of which are nearly impossible, if we can take our medication as prescribed, and if we can avoid making trouble for the good working people, then, maybe, we can get by.