“Then one of our trainer doctors explained: imagine an orchestra, where every musician is a virtuoso, but they do not have a conductor – this is what happens to them, when there is perception, there is a memory, there is behavior, everything is separated without a conductor and it is called a split, schizophrenia is translated as a split.”

Both mother and son try to dig deeper, attempting to find the reason why it had happened.

“You know what, mom,” he tells Natela, “the devil prevailed in me. I cannot fight him back, that’s the reason.”

Sometimes accusations concern his mother, blaming that she was too restrictive or sometimes he thinks his predecessors committed too many sins and now he is punished.

When the parents united their activity, it turned into a coalition of mental health – movement for changes. The first goal was to demand the creation of services apart from the clinic, something like mobile group. After holding meetings with different organizations and funds they achieved results and a mobile group was created. It comes at home, provides with necessary medicine, if it is an urgent situation it also takes care to take a patient to the clinic.

Natela says it simplified her life a little bit. The group has solved conflicts with neighbors, which have lasted for years and sometimes even have required the engagement of the police.

“Neighbors need a peaceful and happy life. When a tiny problem appears outside they cannot get on with it. The mobile group solved it for me and I was relieved.”

The group was supported by a private foundation for three years and as Natela explained, they interested the Tbilisi City Council in this problem which agreed to finance and continue the project of mobile services.

“Very often there are patients, who do not have relatives, parents, or doctors to visit them and ask for their fate. Then something may happen and the media will report that some crime was committed by a person with a mental illness, but the patient didn’t have medicine or someone to take care of it and our coalition actively fights for this problem. Now mobile group visits them and this is our merit.”

Tornike

I came to visit Natela to take some pictures and get to know Tornike. When I came he was talking on the phone. His mother explains that Tornike doesn’t have friends or someone to talk to. He is afraid to go outside as he has too many fears and so he remains home. He calls at the service of the Patriarchate where he can have conversation on different issues and he speaks for hours.

The house is bright, filled with vintage furniture and books. Natela introduced her cats and newborn kittens later inviting me to tea, where Tornike joined us.