Mental Illness...Should we change the laws regarding being commited to a Psych ward? (thoughts, drugs)

[LoveMiiorHateMii]

I am a Psychology major and it breaks my heart that there is a rash of killings involving people killing their children or whole family.

Most people with a mental illness do not think they have an illness. Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and other illnesses are real, yet when someone parent or spouse seeks help for them, they do not receive the proper care at hospitals because they are adults and they can sign themselves out.

I will be graduating this year and this is something that I would like to advocate about. It is getting really bad out here and some of these people just need help before its too late.

Look at Britney Spears. I seriously think that in the futue she may hurt those kids or herself and she should get supervised visits only.

This topic was brought up because I live near DC and the four girls that were killed hit me to the core....If you do not know this is the link...

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

ps...I will be back on CD tomorrow to respond! Looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say!

[NewToCA]

Tough question, but the system wasn't too well funded or managed prior to the shutdowns of mental institutions. We moved about a mile away from one prominent institution when I was a teenager, and heard many stories from the neighbors about the abuses of their patients:

W E I R D U S D O T C O M

Philadelphia State Hospital (Byberry) History - Abandoned Photography : opacity.us

And a pretty good article about the past and the problems:

UN Chronicle | The Rise and Fall of the State Hospital System

[LM1]

I don't understand what exactly you're advocating for.
Forcible institutionalization?
If so, we already have procedures in place for people who are genuinely dangerous. If you're advocating that we make it "easier" to pluck citizens off the street and place them in lockdown wards whenever we "suspect" something might be wrong, well, you are a classic example of the sort of well-intentioned person the founders warned that we must be diligent against.

[LoveMiiorHateMii]

No, there are many people who have a mental illness and need help that are still left on the street.

I want to advocate that peole that brought in by their parents or anyone who knows of their situation should be there for at least 3 days while they get evaluated.

To many shooting and killings have happened because sick people were sent back to their homes. It should be somthing that we all as citizens should fight for.

Once it affects you personally then you will have not clue about how heartbreaking it is to try to get someone help but they do not want in and are sent back to the street. I have seen how frustrated families are and it can turn your thoughts around if you actually know what is going on...

[NewToCA]

Though I understand your concerns, I can't agree with you about the 3 day hold for evaluation purposes. Too many folks would be able to use this for malicious manipulative purposes.

[LoveMiiorHateMii]

Please help me understand under what malicious manipulative purposes would be used against trying to get people help?

[NewToCA]

If you had an elderly relative, they could be identified as needing "help" by a son shaking them down for a few hundred $ to support a drug habit or to pay a loan shark.

You view it as help, and I'm certain that many folks could use the assistance. However, I'm also sure that folks who are still fairly capable may be falsely identified, for malicious reasons.

[LoveMiiorHateMii]

That is true...but a person with a mental disorder can be examined and evaluated to eliminate people being falsely accused.

I just think that there has t be away of getting people who actually need it the help that they deserve. It could eliminate a lot of the crimes we see happening.

[Moth]

This is actually one of the most important questions of our times and I am not sure how to answer.

Most of the homeless you see on the street are probably mentally ill to some extent. People often say we should help them. They are helped, on the most basic level at least- shelters and soup kitchens.

But true rehabiliation? I have known some people with mental illness and going on 15 years, none of them has been "cured" despite having families who shelter them and assist in tapping state resources. I doubt it ever is cured. Rather it is managed.

So to help those on the street, presumably lacking the aforementioned family resources, you would basically have to violate their rights and forcibly institutionalize them. And we know the ramifications of that.

Of course this is how it used to be until the late 60s. Then came deinstitutionalization and thus the majority of the homeless. Its a horrid choice. Leave them to their own freedoms and you get people sleeping on the streets and worse. Force help on them and you go back to the government run snake pits.

I honestly do not know the answer.

[LoveMiiorHateMii]

I do understand that from a personal level moth. My a member of my boyfrinds family has manic depressive disorder/bipolar disorder and has been diagnosed with this. Yet she refuses to stay on her meds and she now lives homeless on the streets of DC. It is hard to see him drive to the bus stop where she"lives" and give her money and clothes. His grandparents tried get her healthcare but she just signed herself out. The hospital is well aware of her becasue during one stay she tried to set herself on fire in a hospital room...the police that brought her in did not check her to make sure she didnt have anything on her and she had a lighter.

The case in DC about the mother who killed her 4 girls...clearly she was on drugs and needed help. People even witnessed her walking the neighborhood talking to her self and in a dazed state. Where was the help she needed before this happened?