How to Help Raving Mad People

[Doktor Howl]

I can't find any research papers on the effects of media overload on chronic stress levels or mental illness, but I am thinking that Cacioppo's probably a good place to start, since the role of online communication in stress, loneliness, and depression is kind of his ball game.

Warren Ellis ranted on this once, and cited some sources.  Let me see if I can find them, and you academic spags can tell me if they're full of arse.

[Dildo Argentino]

(from the parent thread)

It's incredibly sad, when it comes down to it, but paranoid schizophrenics really require specialized help and people who are not trained and don't have backup are rarely capable of helping.

I agree fully with that. Including the bit that untrained people occasionally help paranoid psychotics. Very rarely, but they do. I would like to respectfully request a derail (or should I start a new thread in this instance?) for discussing how they do it, on those rare occasions.

I really think its hit or miss for non proffessionals, and when its miss, its really really bad, i wouldnt reccomend it to anyone.

When you say hit or miss, do you think that there is no lay skill there to be learnt? I.e. someone with experience and some degree of success is just as likely to fail catastrophically in the next incident as someone who has not had dealings with a mad person before? I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, either, but when it's in the family, and when the professional help available seems less than competent and less than humane, there is little choice involved.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Just pointing out that I said "people who are not trained and don't have backup, not "non-professionals". And I mentioned skills training more than once as well as providing a link that was specifically for skills training for loved ones caring for a person with mental wellness issues.

[Dildo Argentino]

Just pointing out that I said "people who are not trained and don't have backup, not "non-professionals". And I mentioned skills training more than once as well as providing a link that was specifically for skills training for loved ones caring for a person with mental wellness issues.

Thanks, and noted, and I will get back to this thread eventually, after the business passes (i.e. Monday). I was interested in The Johnny's opinion and wanted to divert that line to this thread.