Deat Collegues, Friends, Patients and Family members, 4 months has passed since we build up the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at San Benedetto Hospital on Como Lake and I want to share the Spirit that I wish will guide a Department that has the ambition to become a Clinical & Scientific Center of Excellence.
During the last 20 years spent fighting with those who has suffered and still suffers of emotional disorders and attending actively the world of scientific research, the awareness of the terrific responsability that a clinical department holds on its shoulders has gradually grown in myself. This responsability is directed toward general population, society, but mainly towards who has lost the freedom of being himself, wrapped in the chains of mental disorders.
Loosing freedom is one of the main limitations that might hit a human being and the awareness of the power of mental disorders in conditioning and limiting life of who suffers has to bring all of us to think on how we can take the responsability to help who is chained in mental disorders to regain freedom or, at least, a dignified life.
The wisdom of human thinking and personal experience are important guides. But are they enough? Is it not true that for many and many years, wise persons believed that the earth was flat and that the sun revolved round the earth?. Thus, common sense and experience are necessary but not enough.
Understanding the true nature of a mental disorders means to go beyond ideas, opinions and personal experiences toward what is objective. Critical thinking that arise from the direct experience of scientific research, become the guide toward what is true, beyond opinions. We are aware that science and scientific methodology allows to undestand only a small part of reality and of human being but they are starting points solid and rooted in the reality of facts. Here is where we will start (continue!), from science, from research and scientific methodology, clearly aware of their limits but aware of the importance of starting from what is scientifically validated as a light that will help us to avoid loosing ourselves in the muddle of personal opinions on the skin (lives) of those who suffers.
Yes, because the seriousness and the respect toward who suffers makes necessary to start from what is evidence based, from facts that only science allows. Here is the spirit that I wish our department will grow with. These are the reasons why doing research actively is central to become a good clinician, able to help who suffers. Not understanding this principle is not ethical, above all beacuse done on the skin (life) of who suffers.
A big embrace to all of you and the wish of a wonderful 2010..... scientifically responsible!
Giampaolo Perna |
