The Role Of Supportive Communities

Dr Crippen has written several entries in his diary for this week that elicit both sadness and anger. Sadness for the predicament of the patients who consult him and anger that the resources are not available to help them. In the Thursday 18th entry for the diary, Dr Crippen poses the question:

What happens to children with learning difficulties? They become adults with learning difficulties. Because they are grown up, people do not realise and are less tolerant.

We learn about Patrick who is 42 and has learning difficulties. Patrick is currently not working and when he is cross he hits people. Patrick does not meet the criteria for help from the local mental health departments. His local 'regular' psychiatrists do not work with people with learning difficulties: his local learning difficulties psychiatrist had diagnosed a Borderline Personality Disorder which Dr. Crippen translates as, "I can't help you and I don't like you."