“In a culture where the brain is considered the center of consciousness, an unraveling brain is an unraveling self. To let the mentally unstable live in our midst is to face the fearful fragility of the ego. So we whisper our fears over their heads, driving them into the wilderness of the streets or locking them away where they can’t be seen. We let them pale into husks of human beings, cut off from the mutual blood of society. Sometimes we toss them a coin; it’s a small price to pay for the relief of looking away.” Mental IllnessHomelessScapegoatingHomelessness In AmericaHomelessnesss Book:The Sea Once Swallowed Me: A Memoir of Love, Solitude, and the Limits of Language Source: The Sea Once Swallowed Me: A Memoir of Love, Solitude, and the Limits of Language