For all that Laing's philosophy failed some people, it does feel to me that the key here is the _time_ that they gave to people. The example here is extreme in that respect, but the way people are currently rushed through standard protocols doesn't lead to the best outcomes. Even if the outcome of a long period of care and attention is medication - which I think is a valid treatment if it works - I feel that the time taken beforehand would lead to better long-term outcomes (citation needed, naturally). Of course time means money, which is where it gets tricky in political terms.
I kinda imagine the HN bait (not taken up) was the guy who simply needed space to count to a million and back. I've read a lot of books less interesting than this story.
If born a few years later, would he have retreated to his room and got his spectrum or commodore to quickly do the counting and then moved on?
