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THERE ARE FEW EVENTS AS DEVASTATING as the onset of a chronic mental illness. The predicament of these seriously ill patients arises out of the loss of the most fundamental of human possessions, those of mental health and personal dignity. One is reminded of the words of the Indian poet Gulzar (1994), who wrote
Death comes to everyone
one by one;
why doesn’t Life?
Central to one’s ability to cope with such an overwhelming circumstance is the capacity to experience hope. Robert Frost (1961) beautifully captures the mixture of fear and anticipation associated with hope.
The Peril of Hope
It is right in there
Betwixt and between
The orchard bare
And the orchard green
When the boughs are right
In a flowery burst
Of pink and white
That we fear the worst.