PRISONER EXPRESS

In prison, breakdowns are a matter of course. This is one of the most oppressive places on earth, and oppression leads to deterioration of one's mental faculties. This is especially true in the situation of isolation from others, when a person has time to really think. Not everyone has the ability to be objective to their own position; or if they do have that ability, often it is focused in a negative way. Why do you think that the suicide rate in prison is so high? Put a person in here, and they develop "issues." This is true in 100% of the cases in here; we all develop issues of one sort or another. It is when these issues stem from oppression (and, less often, depression) that breakdowns occur.

Breakdowns manifest themselves in many different ways in here, just as they do out there. Most times, people in here just start to do whatever they want to, as the result of being oppressed. The rationale here is "This is going to mess me over anyway, so I may as well do as I please." This is when a person's spirit has been broken. Another aspect s when those in here actually deteriorate mentally, usually evolutionary regression. They begin to act like savages: not bathing, raging at the staff, not keeping their living space clean, etc. This is also usually accompanied by actual mental problems, with paranoia, O.C.D and maniac/depressive symptoms being the most common. They couldn't handle the oppression of this environment, so their minds found a way to cope: by having a breakdown.

The worst of all are those who take their own lives as the result of a breakdown. When family dies, parole is denied, even when a person doesn't get mailâ€"all of this contributes to mental stress, and if a person is especially prone to depression, these things can send him or her over the edge. It happens all the time in here. Most of the staff doesn't care either. A personal will ask to talk to a counselor because they're having problems right then, and they will be told to write a request. Or they'll tell the officers they are thinking of hurting themselves, and most say "go ahead." (In the officer's defense, they are subjected to many people playing games of this sort that they have become "numb" to it in a lot of cases. It still does not excuse their unprofessionalism).

The "system" is designed to make us fail, and many of us do, spectacularly. It is the nature of this beast to oppress us, and this oppression leads to breakdowns. The key to avoiding this is to find a positive focus, and don't play their game. Decide what you can do to keep yourself mentally occupied, because a person who is mentally occupied in something worthwhile and of interest to themselves is at a lower risk for a breakdown. Only you can decide how you will maintain your mental state, strive for the positive!