Usually, when someone goes into a hospital, friends, family, as well as friends, send get well cards, flowers or even chocolates. They might offer to feed the patient’s dog or water the pot plants. But, when someone is hospitalized for a mental health condition or crisis, there are no flowers, no gifts or even a chocolate. Not one single offer of help is presented during their sometimes long recovery. One of my daughter’s said; “If he had broken his leg, he would have received gifts, but due to the fact that he is mentally challenged, he gets no attention at all.”
Why doesn’t the person suffering from a mental illness get anything? Because friends, family and co-workers, haven’t the slightest idea of what to give, or what to do. They may wonder whether it is even appropriate to send a card because they wouldn’t know what to write on the card. Well, this is what I would do. I would send a card wishing the person well, hoping for a speedy recovery, ask whether it was appropriate to visit, and send my best wishes. At a later stage, I would visit and bring something sweet to eat as I can assure you that it would be appreciated.
Try it and see.
