Description:

It’s nearly Christmas and the Wards are full at New Hope Psychiatric Hospital. Patients seek out help and a little TLC. They hope that soon they will be listened to and understood. But there’s no time. Instead, they are diagnosed and medicated. Day after day they anxiously wait for visitors who never show up. Now stigmatized, they often wonder if anyone cares about them. Dominic’s head is crammed with voices. Lisa is in a daze and Nathan has the shakes. Rocking in unison, they hold onto themselves tightly because no one else will hold them. They are alonetogether. Jason faithfully visits his schizophrenic wife, Bernie. She’s been moved to a secure ward. He finds her curled up on the floor, motionless, unreachable. He loves her but at the same time he is not coping with her illness. They are alonetogether. With the advent of ‘Care in the Community’ Jason is expected to look after her 24-7. He feels abandoned and forgotten; left wondering if anyone cares about the carer.