TV mysticism blamed for increase at asylums
TV mysticism blamed for increase at asylums
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Imagine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with a supernatural
twist.
Or just visit the psychiatric ward of Dr. Sardjito General
Hospital in Yogyakarta, where you will meet the likes of "Hardi",
29, and "Heri", 26.
Inside a tiny isolation cell and wearing a straitjacket, Hardi
laughs frequently and repeats the same two sentences over and
over.
"I have the power to become invisible. I learned it from a
master in Banten," he said in the presence of The Jakarta Post
recently, before drifting into incoherence.
Heri, who was a student at a private university in the city,
sits in the corner of a cell talking to himself, using words only
he can understand.
According to their families, Hardi and Heri were normal young
men before they zealously began watching TV reality shows dealing
with supernatural topics.
Hardi said he watched the shows "to compare my powers" with
those of the people on the shows.
A doctor in the psychiatric ward has noted that as more and
more of these supernatural shows have appeared on TV over the
past two years, more cases of mental illness have been seen at
the hospital. The doctor does not think this is a coincidence.
The majority of the patients in the psychiatric ward come from
traditional groups with a deep belief in all things related to
mysticism. However, some of the patients are also college
students.
The head of the hospital's psychiatric ward, Soewadi, said
traditional groups had limited knowledge and an immature
understanding of the world, making them more easily influenced by
the things they saw on TV.
"The mystery shows on TV are like stressors that can change
the neurotransmitters inside the brain. People who are mature
enough see the shows only as entertainment. But for people who
are immature, the changes caused by these stressors can result in
mental disturbance," he said.
The first indication of a mental disturbance is an excessive
belief in mysticism, accompanied by constant mood swings.
Patients go from sad to giddy, or from aggressive to placid in
the blink of an eye.
They also speak incoherently and repeat the same words. When
brought to the hospital, the patients frequently have with them
"charms" such as rings or bracelets, he said.
Soewadi said he drew a connection between supernatural shows
and mental disturbances after observing patients for two years at
the hospital and at his private practice.
"The patients' families confirm this conclusion. Most of the
patients cannot communicate when they are brought here, but the
way the families describe the patients' behavior, it is similar
to schizophrenia or autism, and it occurs after watching these
shows," he said.
Speaking with the families of some of the patients, among the
most frequently watched shows by the patients are LaTivi's
Pemburu Hantu (Ghostbusters) and Trans TV's Dunia Lain
(Other World) and Uji Nyali (Dare Test).
Soewadi said further evidence of the connection between
supernatural reality shows and mental disturbances was the
increased number of cases of mental illness between January and
October last year, the same time there was an explosion of these
shows appearing on TV daily.
"On average, there were 12 inpatients and 17 outpatients in
the hospital every month (between January and October). My
private practice had about two patients a month. All of them were
having delusions and showing symptoms of schizophrenia because of
the TV shows," he said.
In November and December, the number of patients fell by 50
percent because it was the fasting month and the shows were aired
less frequently.
"As the fasting month ended, the number of patients went up
again," Soewadi said.
The doctor claimed that using a holistic approach, he could
cure the patients in anywhere from four days to two weeks.
Patients receive psychotherapy, art therapy and medication, as
well as being involved in social, work and spiritual activities.
They also are given electroshock therapy every two days.