Responsibility And The Insane

I’m grateful that both my parents came from large families. This gives me plenty of cousins. They’re in a variety of ages, and a variety of jobs.
But mostly, it gives more relatives for my mentally disturbed sister to call. That spreads out the frustration.

She is seriously mentally ill and should not be out on her own, but she is. Last winter she took to calling me regularly at the full and new moons of every month. She’s nocturnal; I’m diurnal. The calls commonly came at her schedule, not mine.

Dawn rarely has a point to her calls. It’s her time to complain about how awful things are for her, how unfairly she is treated, how no one listens or will help her, and how she can’t move into any kind of care due to her old cat.

Since our dad died a few months ago and I’ve sent her some estate money, she hasn’t called so often. She has, however, called or spoken in person to many of our cousins about it. Each person is treated to a different version of how she hasn’t received anything.

It is difficult dealing with insane persons. You never know if what they’re telling you is true. In my sister’s case, she doesn’t want help as such. She wants someone to do everything for her while she yells and chain-smokes and tells you you’re not doing anything right.

Our current system offloads everything. Cuts to health care in Alberta has eviscerated the system leaving only the barest of publicly directed help and care available.

Persons who should be in care are turned out on the street to fend for themselves as best they are able. Sadly, many aren’t able. Those who are smart and manipulative, like Dawn, may fool you into thinking they can cope.

Who should be responsible for the insane when the insane cannot or will not take responsibility for themselves?