No One Cares About Crazy People – A Reading Reflection
I recently finished reading No One Cares About Crazy People by Ron Powers. The book alternates between the emotional narrative of Powers’ experiences with raising two schizophrenic sons (Kevin and Dean), and his commentary on the history and present state of society’s outlook and attitude towards mental illness.
Growing up, mental illness was a distant concept. To put it bluntly, in my mind it was reserved for the “crazy people.” In high school, I remember considering visiting my school’s Wellness Center, an office for mental health counseling, during a scary and emotional season of my life. As I was about to step through the door to the counseling office, I paused and told myself: this is not for you. This is for the crazies. I turned around and left.
Though I’m extremely fortunate that nothing terrible resulted from that prideful decision, I wonder how many people have turned away from much needed guidance and counseling due to the stigma associated with receiving treatment for mental health. My guess? Many.
Powers’ writing deeply moved me and encouraged me to empathize with victims of mental illness at a more profound level. His decision to include snippets of the extremely personal lives of his sons in the book was brave and necessary, illuminating their humanity and allowing readers to connect with their experiences. He shares childhood stories of Kevin and Dean, various email correspondences with them during their time away in college, and key moments of their progressions in battling mental health over the course of many years. I’ve learned that it is dangerous thinking to simply view the mentally ill (or any other group of people for that matter) as a joint population; doing so often is the source of barriers that prevent us from simply relating with one another as individuals.
We are far too often ignorant of the intricate stories of others around us — sometimes even our closest friends. Yet the Bible tells us that each individual is a unique and intentional creation of a God who loves us.
Psalm 139:13-14a
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
As I was reminded of this psalm, I thought about whether the way I treat others is reflective of this Bible truth. Do I recognize strangers and acquaintances as precious to God, loving my neighbors as myself as God commands (Mark 12:31, Matthew 22:39)? The humbling answer is that I often don’t. I see perhaps hundreds of people on a daily basis (okay maybe not now, but at least when I am not sheltered-in-place), yet it is rare for me to connect meaningfully with more than several each day.
Even regarding the large homeless population in Berkeley, I often have a tendency to avoid them out of fear and arrogance. But I am reminded that they too are God’s creation, no less worthy than I am of love. It would be pretty awesome if we could all make a commitment to loving on them by positively interacting with them on a more regular basis — at least that’s something that I’d like to begin doing. Maybe I am still afraid, but I feel that I am even more strongly commissioned to love others the way God has loved me.
Reading about the history of public policy surrounding issues of mental health was much more of a drag for me than the narrative sections of the book, but it provided an equally important perspective on the issue. Social stigma against mental illness goes way back, and though we have made small improvements over the centuries, the current state of American policy on mental health can be described as dire.
In short, it seems that every well-intentioned reform effort was plagued by public indifference. Powers states it well: “While it is true that a handful of legislators, journalists, academic figures, and individual citizens have made heroic attempts to garner sustained attention and support for the plight of the mentally ill, their efforts have yet to catch fire with the populace.” This really challenges me to reconsider my own heart and actions towards those who suffer from mental illness, because as history has proven, effective reform is sustained by the average citizen, not merely by a few outspoken heroes.
This observation also encourages me to really put my thoughts into action. I’m reminded of these verses from the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
I like to think a lot. Doing things is a lot harder. Just as there’s a big difference between an intellectual acknowledgment of Christianity and truly living out Christian life as God calls us to, there is a real step that needs to be taken to get from merely having sympathy for others and tangibly serving and loving them.
If you’re reading this, I challenge you to be thoughtful about how you may (or may not) be relating to those around you. And beyond that, I challenge you to practice acts of service and love, treating others through the lens of God’s love for each of them individually.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Perhaps you’re an introvert like I am, and this sounds like a scary task. I would just encourage you to start small, and pray for God to open your eyes to His heart.
Ethan is a junior studying Computer Science and Cognitive Science. He enjoys reading and making music, and is overly competitive when it comes to sports and board games.