RESIDENTS ALARM OVER LUNATICS
Experts call for treatment and rehabilitation
Alarming reports of lunatics
Eric Adah
Master Fater Kpamor is a 10 year old pupil of LGEA Primary School who was knocked down by a motorcycle while coming back from school because of a marauding mentally ill man who frightens residents with a stick in hand.
His mother, Veronica Kpamor who shared her story with THE TRANSMITTER said the accident was so terrible that both her son and the motorcyclist wounded gravely. Fater’s leg was fractured with degrees of injuries and was rushed to the hospital for treatment where he regained consciousness and was admitted for further medicare. He was discharged prematurely for lack of money to continue with the medical bills.
Considering her financial state, Mrs. Kpamor said she took her son to a bone-setter where her son is currently receiving the native therapy. She further said in her neigbourhood, so many children and even the older people get frightened when they come in contact with this mentally ill person, because of his violent nature. She however appealed to the government to gag such people for treatment and rehabilitation as the number of mentally ill people has continued to rise significantly.
Fidelis Adzua, another victim of persons with mental disorder said: “I sat out with friends about 9pm along Iorchia Ayu Road in High level Makurdi. We saw people fighting close to where I parked my car. I decided to go and secure it when I noticed that the fight was concerning my wind-screen smashed by a mentally ill man. I asked them to stop beating the man and that was that. But I kept wondering why mentally ill people are allowed to roam about with weaponry objects.”
Worried with the number of these persons in Makurdi town, Adzua cautioned parents and guardians to guide their wards against substance abuse even as he appealed to the relevant agencies to do the needful to control the situation.
A 16 year old teenager whose mother is mentally ill spoke on the condition of anonymity. She lamented how her mother was injured when she threw down a woman’s meat from a trail. She was in tears and said she will be happy if her mother who roams about Makurdi town is treated and rehabilitated. She expressed worry that her mother might be knocked down someday by a vehicle.
Dr. Festus Ighabon, a Psychiatrist at the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, said mental illness is a disorder that affects an individual’s behaviour, thought, actions, reactions, beliefs and the person’s speech. He said there are many things that can predisposed an individual to mental illness, these include the biological factor, psychological factor and the environmental factor. The Psychiatric doctor also said the causes of biological factors of mental illness include heredity. This occurs when a pregnant mother abuse drug, substances and tobacco smoking; when she suffers abuse, prolong labour of child delivery, malnutrition of a pregnant woman and also when the child sustains some kind of injuries during delivery.
The doctor explains that psychological factor is caused by traumatic experience an individual undergo as a result of the death of a loved one, especially if they were killed in your presence or when your loved one died in your arms, when a loved one is been kidnapped, and also individuals that are affected by crisis or war.
He also said accident victims who either sustain injuries or who experience heavy shock may develop mental illness as a result of traumatic experience. The most common factor Dr. Ighabon said is caused by substance and drugs abuse, alcoholic intake, smoking and economic hardship. He explained that some people abuse drugs and substances just to cope with social stress in the society such as unemployment, high level of poverty, idleness, and disappointment from loved ones, individuals that have been defrauded and frustrated. Persons with mental illness have increased significantly in the state.
The psychiatric doctor said in an ideal society, persons with mental illness are government responsibility. They receive medical treatment free. It is the responsibility of the government to take these persons that are mentally ill off the streets to the psychiatric hospital for treatment and rehabilitation. Dr. Ighabon also advised people to always come for medical check-up whenever they notice any strange reactions in their body rather than allow it to knock them down before seeking medical attention. The early the symptom is treated, the better for the individual.
