Extra

Our fearless leader, President Donald Trump, is very sick as I write this. This changes the map on innumerable levels. Trump continues to have a very strong chance at being reelected, and this could result in Mike Pence becoming President. Trump did not disbelieve in science, but he did have some type of mental error that made him believe he was special and was not subject to the laws of science (as we currently understand them). He was taped at some point, possibly for a book interview, in which he showed he fully understood the threat of COVID-19 and lied to the American people about it. 

But my column is not about the President. Within this column I do not discuss politics except when they affect the living conditions of mentally ill people. 

The best, simplest, cheapest, easiest known ways of surviving during these times, in which a potentially deadly pathogen is going around, is to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, and these guidelines are not rocket science. Wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance. Anyone can do this. Mentally ill people can do this. 

Numerous people in the U.S. are in denial concerning coronavirus. This is because Trump has misdirected them. Those in denial of the virus are not following CDC guidelines concerning prevention of catching this. As a result, the U.S. is the worst country globally in terms of controlling the spread of the virus. 

Comparable to the above, for mentally ill people, there is the issue of having enough insight to be medication compliant. When we are well, something was done correctly. Usually that includes taking medication. We haven't gotten well in spite of medication, but because of it. After a while, it might seem like taking meds is oppressive and is holding us back. We forget a few years back; just how bad it was when we became ill. If we've been well for three or four years, it is easy for the memory to fade of how incredibly bad it is to have a psychotic, manic or depressive episode--and how dangerous. Thus, we repeat the mistake of going off medication against medical advice. 

Basic science is not God. God is God, and science is science. If you are religious, God created science. Then why are you ignoring this creation of God? Gregor Mendel was a Christian abbot and scientist, famous for discovering rules of genetics. You can be religious and not disbelieve in science. 

The Dalai Lama: "If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims." 

There is no conflict between having religious beliefs and acknowledging the reality of science. And up until recently, there was no conflict between being a member of the Republican Party and believing in obvious scientific facts. 

However, this column is not so much about coronavirus. It is about reminding the reader that mental illnesses, like coronavirus follow the laws of biological science. And we can never let down our guard--it comprises keeping a psychiatric illness in check. This is accomplished through doing something simple that works: taking medicine.