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WORLD NEWS ARCHIVES
Don't breed, writer urges mental health victims
A controversial Canta magazine article on mental health has
been slammed as "outrageous" by a leading mental health expert.
The article, entitled Mental Illness and penned by a
columnist named "Deborah", appeared on the Canterbury
University's student magazine website on Thursday.
It has angered some readers.
The article is critical of television campaigns aimed at
reducing the stigma surrounding mental illnesses.
It reads: "It is well-documented that there is a genetic
precursor for many mental disorders. You don't want your kids to
have the same problems you have, do you? Make sure you adopt,
rather than making kids yourself. Predisposing children to
mental disorders is just cruel."
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Judi Clements said
parts of the article were "outrageous". "Without being po-faced,
this is not something to trivialise."
The article also says: "There is a guy in my shared office
that has no social skills. He is really annoying and everyone
hates him. No-one wants to work or play with this guy. And I
treat him with the respect he deserves, aka none.
"But what if he comes out and says that he has been diagnosed
with Asperger's syndrome or some proper mental illness? His
annoying anti-social behaviour is not acceptable. By blaming it
all on some illness, does that mean I have to put up with it?
Hell no."
In response, Alyson Bradley, who has Asperger's syndrome,
wrote: "I have Asperger's and my biggest problem continues to be
ignorance from individuals like yourself."
Yesterday she told The Press the article was "absolutely
horrendous".
Most responses had been angry. One said: "Oh give Deborah a
break. People with NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) have
just as much right to speak out as anyone else. They can't help
themselves."
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