Steyn de Leeuwe about his work in psychiatry: ‘It can happen to anyone’

Working in healthcare

“It’s not that I ended up in a closed institution. I came to people’s homes. These are people who can also live just fine for themselves, but were just a bit unlucky with the way things sometimes go in their brains. Which makes life a little more difficult. becomes,” says Steyn de Leeuwe. “You end up in all kinds of crazy situations. For example, you have to mediate between neighbors because something goes wrong. Or you have to mediate in a supermarket because something goes wrong there. But you can also help someone enormously by going out to help a little. to enjoy the sunlight.”

Loneliness

De Leeuwe held the people he came home to in his heart. “They are very colorful. They make for very nice stories.” He also sees a lot of loneliness. “For example, if you have ADHD or depression, or suffer from anxiety or anger, it becomes difficult to keep up in this society where there is also pressure to perform. And yes, then you fall a bit outside the boat. And what happens then happens, and that is actually the worst thing: there is a lot of loneliness. So many people are sitting at home behind a window. Alone.”