#daily work

So, this man is very disruptive. Fortunately, he’s not someone who’s going to suddenly explode or cause a huge scene, but he’s very difficult to deal with, it’s like dealing with a 16-year-old teenager who doesn’t want to listen to anything the caregivers say. People in supported housing have to follow a certain structure, especially because that structure is meant to help them reintegrate into society. So they have responsibilities, both inside and outside the house; like doing daily chores, attending courses or programs, and so on. Well, this man’s sense of responsibility when it comes to daily tasks and being a good housemate is basically nonexistent. Here’s the thing: he has two brothers who are his legal guardians, because he can’t be responsible for himself due to a high level of disability caused by his schizophrenia, not just that, but also his overall physical health issues.

He has always wanted to go live with his family. Basically, on the days he’s not in prison, instead of going to supported housing, he wanted to stay at one of his sibling’ homes. He doesn’t want to be in a supervised facility, he wants a normal home. So his siblings told him that if he met a series of goals and conditions, they could start discussing the possibility of him living with them instead.

And he did it. He met every single one of those goals. He improved a lot. But when the time came, what happened? His siblings didn’t actually want to take responsibility for him.

So what happens when you tell a 60-year-old man—who’s been through everything he’s been through, who already feels like he has nothing left in life, who’s dealing with a massive depression—that the one thing he was holding onto, the one hope he had (living in a normal home instead of supported housing), isn’t going to happen Everything falls apart. All the progress he made disappears. He goes back to disruptive behavior, emotional dysregulation, not caring about anything and all the ground he had gained is lost.

Situations like this really open your eyes. It’s not just about a person’s willpower, their environment is absolutely crucial. It’s essential for recovery, reintegration, and improvement. If someone feels like they have a place to go and people who will welcome them, they have a reason to fight and to get better. But if that suddenly disappears, life can stop making sense, and they just stop caring. And it’s awful, because this is someone who really could have improved a lot.

I understand the family too, they’ve probably been through a lot because of him, and they may not want to take on that responsibility. That’s completely fair. But if you’re not going to do it, don’t promise that you will. Because that’s just cruel. Both things can be true at the same time: that he’s caused them a lot of trouble, and that making promises you don’t keep can destroy all the progress someone has made.

I am Day I am Dæg I am Dawn I am the cycle of Day and Night I am Máni’s route I am Sól’s work I am the cheer of morning I am the heat of midday I am the cool of night I am Nött’s Blanket I am Wolves’ Course I am Stars’ Tapestry I am the embers of first light I am the setting of the Sun I am the Equinox and Solstice I am the timekeeper I am the clock I am the primstav marks I am…

February 2024 JAPAN HOKKAIDO SAPPORO

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works