West coast Man (Scotland)

Robin   Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:16 am GMT
There hence persists the ‘figure’ of the west coast man
with a hard working life, slipping into alcoholism, following the rituals of binge drinking, carousing, story-telling and singing, perhaps punctuated by acute senses of guilt, remorse
and even sinfulness indirectly prompted by local religious-moral convention.

And then there is the ‘figure’ of the west coast woman, probably older, wracked by family difficulties and perhaps by bereavement, unable to gain emotional solace from the church
in which she so wants to trust, who becomes reclusive, bitter and prone to drinking at home alone.

Neither of these individuals are mentally healthy, both being candidates for mental breakdowns, and in the past they may have endured spells in Craig Dunain and now spells in New Craigs.

We are perfectly aware that these figures verge on the edge of
being simplistic stereotypes, and we doubt that individuals with these characteristics dominate the west coast psychiatric casebook; and yet they seemingly do retain a currency in how people imagine the travails of the west in the Highlands mental health landscape.
Dr.Physco, PHD in free ad   Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:36 am GMT
Mental retarded people drive other normal people crazy; therefore i declare that their right place is in mental house.