Medicated for your Protection – Portraits of Mental Illness LIMITED ...

Dirk is 59 and was born in Westchester County, New York. Heshared with me these personal details. Dirk moved with his familyto California in the 1960’s, and he has lived in Harbor View since1985. His now deceased father was in the advertising business andhis mother is still alive and in her eighties. He has no children, wasnever married, has never had a job, but he finished high school. “Iwas a hippie and did a lot of drugs. I remember my mother sendingme to Juvenile Hall.” He likes fishing and sailing, and he wantsto go to Hawaii to see his sister. Dirk is very proud of his sobrietysince coming to Harbor View. “I like it in here. I get SSI, three mealsa day and a warm bed. I got it made because I was once homeless.I’d like to die in here.”35