'Relations' with a mental health person

Hi @III

It does seem like a tricky question!

Can I ask you to clarify how you know this person? The reason I ask is that it would make a big difference if you worked for, lets say, a community support service where this person is your client.

Also - I guess it's hard to give you feedback when we're not sure on what the diagnosis is - I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'physical mental disability'

We're unable to give you legal advice - members can only give their opinion on the matter.

Nik

No its not a working relationship with a client or something!
What I mean by physical mental dissability is that it is not a social emotional or any other condition that can just be (possibly) fixed. It is a birth issue of the brain that causes speech, simple things like money worth, and possibly understanding what is good and bad. Actually I don't even know the name of it. But I know its a physical issue of the brain that will never repair.
Since you can't offer legal help I'll remain in the dark. Its actually a difficult thing to 'look up' online. There no where that says no problems with having relations with this type of handicap person! Generally what I see is there IS problems, and I suppose I wanted to know if there are so many mentally handicapped individuals does that mean they can't have relationships? Or what does it mean?
I am really ignorant in this area, even though I have a lot of knowledge and experience in family issues and individuals. I think mentally handicapped may be beyond my knowledge, that's for sure. I don't think there's any defining answer, and this is why I don't even know.

Hi @III

It does sound like a complicated situation. Though I'm no legal expert, my hunch would be that the moral and perhaps legal implications would be whether this person can make informed decisions independently. From what I see, most laws protecting people within relations exist because some people are unable to make decisions for their own best interests. Could you potentially speak to their family or people involved who care for her?

It's great you're asking though. Sounds like you want to best for this person. One thing I'd like to suggest - if I may - is to be mindful of the language you use such as 'handicapped person', this type of statement define the who person's identity as handicapped. It's similar to calling someone 'schizophrenic'. There's more to a person than an illness or a disability. For these reasons, phrases like 'person with a mental illness' instead of 'mentally ill' can be better. I might just be finicky, but I think the way we choose to word thing can have an impact.

Let us know how it goes...

Thanks for the replies including you too BeHappy.

I think able to make 'informed decisions' independently, is definitely the right answer.
I have avoided communication with others because of my own lack of confidence in the area.
And I'm certainly a word person myself, I agree a person who has this condition, is much more appropriate and respectful than a 'conditioned person', I'll try to be more mindful of this too.
This post was written not in my normal format, it's interesting how we automatically fall into the category assigned to us (in this case asking for support). It is a weird feeling for me, I'm basically a person who feels I can work everything out on my own, I think an old fashioned viewpoint that thankfully the younger generation does not share.

I have known of relationships where 2 people with similar disabilities find each other. The ones I know of are 2 blind people, 2 hearing impaired, and 2 Downies ... so there is a level of eqully weightedness in the relationship.

Can you call a legal aid office.

It sounds like you genuinely care otherwise would not be posting. Do you think you can sustain interest for a long time as abandonment may hurt. Sorry .. not sure is I am getting you ... just responding .. dont take offence.