Mental health treatment - we have to do better

TexasBama

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This is a crushing story, brought me to tears.

We're one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, we have to do better.

Several years ago, some acquaintances of ours called the police for a mental health intervention for their schizophrenic son. A young officer showed up rather than professionals and the boy ended up dead.
 

Bazza

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I subscribe to the Daily Patrol Log here in NSB

I get an emailed summary of that day's activities.

Almost every day there's one like this (this one is from yesterday):


CASE NUMBER: 220500155

TIME OCCURRED: 1849

SYNOPSIS: Mentally Ill – S. Atlantic Av. A juvenile female was taken into protective custody under Baker Act criteria and transported to Halifax Hospital.


I'm sure more can be done but not sure how other than getting more press maybe might help...
 

uafanataum

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I subscribe to the Daily Patrol Log here in NSB

I get an emailed summary of that day's activities.

Almost every day there's one like this (this one is from yesterday):


CASE NUMBER: 220500155

TIME OCCURRED: 1849

SYNOPSIS: Mentally Ill – S. Atlantic Av. A juvenile female was taken into protective custody under Baker Act criteria and transported to Halifax Hospital.


I'm sure more can be done but not sure how other than getting more press maybe might help...
Probably making mental health care not only free for all, but also encouraged would be a big help. Right now mental health care is expensive and also looked down upon by certain people in our society. I remember when someone my family ( a 20+ year old adult) was diagnosed with depression and given a prescription along with future appointments with her psychiatrist. Her mom told her she did not need the meds, she needed more time in the church. A fairly large portion of our country is like this.
 

Bazza

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Oct 1, 2011
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It can be a really hostile world when you get down to it.

Not everyone has a support system around them - and even that doesn't guarantee anything.

Having a good friend or friends you can lean on means the world.

I've always said you don't know what someone else is going through. You really don't. Many just don't open up.

Even though most of us try to be helpful and generous to others we still need reminders to help keep us on course of being kind to others.

When I read this thread - for some reason the ending of the Red Skelton Show came to mind.....

 

DawgAlum2054

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we are placing a lot of stress on kids these days, and there is a negative stigma surrounding mental health. Those two things do not pair well
 

Padreruf

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we are placing a lot of stress on kids these days, and there is a negative stigma surrounding mental health. Those two things do not pair well
This didn't start in the last few years...or even decades. Stress has always been a part of life for kids as they mature and seek their place in the world. With families splintering -- divorce and lack of multi-generational contact -- children/teens/young adults have a much less defined support system -- and have since the 1960's as far as I can tell. We know so much more...but out knowledge is not helping us do more in an appreciable way.

Life is/can be tough -- and every one you meet is struggling in some way. Be kind...even when others are not.
 

Chukker Veteran

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Imagine where we could be now if our society put even half the effort and resources into helping mental illness victims rather than locking up everybody possible for ridiculous charges like smoking pot.
The state of Tennessee has a new deal with a private prison outfit…in exchange for the private company building shiny new jails the state guarantees at least 90 per cent occupancy.
As long as mentally ill people refrain from illegal behavior, they are on their own.
 

crimsonaudio

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Probably making mental health care not only free for all, but also encouraged would be a big help. Right now mental health care is expensive and also looked down upon by certain people in our society.
While the overall view of mental health care has improved drastically in my lifetime (it seems to be widely accepted at this point) the cost really is a huge issue. One of my kids we adopted as a teen, this child had never had a stable home, was abused, etc. The therapeutic needs of this child were / are incredible, and the associated costs were (and continue to be) eye-watering. This is what my child needs and so it must be done, but few people have the disposable income to be able to absorb these incredible costs.

What's the alternative? Without treatment, my child would almost certainly end up with a terrible life, likely as a net drain on the taxpayer.

But even ignoring the taxpayer cost, what sort of society do we want? One filled with people struggling mentally, fighting to maintain balance against an overwhelming avalanche of trauma they didn't ask for or deserve, yet were heaped upon them by circumstances beyond their control?

I've seen the statistics on teens like this, and they're ugly. They turn into adults that cannot cope with problems and turn to every manner of illegal activity to try to cope with their unresolved trauma.

Mental health care needs to be accessible to all, not just those with means. It's inarguably critical to the overall health and well-being of our society.

Will it stop all of these shootings and such? Of course not. But I'd bet dollars to donuts it would have a significant impact - not just on violent acts that grab headlines, but in our everyday interactions as well.
 

Chukker Veteran

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Defund the police is an ill advised term that actually is grounded in good sense.

We make certain there are enough cops around to do whatever, but try finding a social worker or someone capable of responding to mental illness in a crisis.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Defund the police is an ill advised term that actually is grounded in good sense.

We make certain there are enough cops around to do whatever, but try finding a social worker or someone capable of responding to mental illness in a crisis.
That was so sad about this story. The people who could have helped went off duty at 10:00, leaving the cops. Unfortunately, mental health crises occur 24/7. In fact, they occur more late at night...
 

crimsonaudio

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That was so sad about this story. The people who could have helped went off duty at 10:00, leaving the cops. Unfortunately, mental health crises occur 24/7. In fact, they occur more late at night...
Yeah, they only operate noon to 10 p.m, Tuesdays through Fridays - IOW, less than 24% of the week they have someone on duty. God forbid someone schedules a mental health issue overnight or on the weekend...
 
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MobtownK

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My (ex) best friend of 25 years is currently in mental health treatment. Addiction & borderline personality disorder. Although she has most of the signs of a sociopath as well. The only reason I would doubt that is that I know she loves me.

She has been in and out of treatment, jail for drugs, and rehab. Our current riff is because she asked for commissary money for the jail. Once I turned her down for money - she ended our friendship (again). I declined (this time) because we've done this before - she's wonderful - until she doesn't get her way & then gets mad and screams at me. Or is in detox for meth or suboxone, or cocaine, or pain pills - I've seen it all.

I love her - but this time I didn't come back and start texting her mom or trying to find her - because our friendship breaks my heart and is always her way only. I had to find the line between helping & enabling. If she needs help, I'd fly to Ohio today - but I can't enable her any more.

She needs mental health treatment. And I hope that this time it sticks. She had a terrible childhood to overcome, and it's taken her whole life to do it - most of which was self medicated.

Problem is - she couldn't get inpatient mental health treatment while on parole. I'm not saying that's a reason to have meth in your purse - but I can see how it's easier to go back into the system so that you can get help. And it's better than winding up dead.
 

Tideflyer

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That was so sad about this story. The people who could have helped went off duty at 10:00, leaving the cops. Unfortunately, mental health crises occur 24/7. In fact, they occur more late at night...
This is why Crisis Intervention Training ( CIT ) for law enforcement officers is so critical. The odds are overwhelming that police and first responders will encounter incidences that are a result of a mental illness condition.
 

JDCrimson

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Borderline is no joke. It destroys family relationships and friendships.

My (ex) best friend of 25 years is currently in mental health treatment. Addiction & borderline personality disorder. Although she has most of the signs of a sociopath as well. The only reason I would doubt that is that I know she loves me.

She has been in and out of treatment, jail for drugs, and rehab. Our current riff is because she asked for commissary money for the jail. Once I turned her down for money - she ended our friendship (again). I declined (this time) because we've done this before - she's wonderful - until she doesn't get her way & then gets mad and screams at me. Or is in detox for meth or suboxone, or cocaine, or pain pills - I've seen it all.

I love her - but this time I didn't come back and start texting her mom or trying to find her - because our friendship breaks my heart and is always her way only. I had to find the line between helping & enabling. If she needs help, I'd fly to Ohio today - but I can't enable her any more.

She needs mental health treatment. And I hope that this time it sticks. She had a terrible childhood to overcome, and it's taken her whole life to do it - most of which was self medicated.

Problem is - she couldn't get inpatient mental health treatment while on parole. I'm not saying that's a reason to have meth in your purse - but I can see how it's easier to go back into the system so that you can get help. And it's better than winding up dead.
 

Padreruf

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My (ex) best friend of 25 years is currently in mental health treatment. Addiction & borderline personality disorder. Although she has most of the signs of a sociopath as well. The only reason I would doubt that is that I know she loves me.

She has been in and out of treatment, jail for drugs, and rehab. Our current riff is because she asked for commissary money for the jail. Once I turned her down for money - she ended our friendship (again). I declined (this time) because we've done this before - she's wonderful - until she doesn't get her way & then gets mad and screams at me. Or is in detox for meth or suboxone, or cocaine, or pain pills - I've seen it all.

I love her - but this time I didn't come back and start texting her mom or trying to find her - because our friendship breaks my heart and is always her way only. I had to find the line between helping & enabling. If she needs help, I'd fly to Ohio today - but I can't enable her any more.

She needs mental health treatment. And I hope that this time it sticks. She had a terrible childhood to overcome, and it's taken her whole life to do it - most of which was self medicated.

Problem is - she couldn't get inpatient mental health treatment while on parole. I'm not saying that's a reason to have meth in your purse - but I can see how it's easier to go back into the system so that you can get help. And it's better than winding up dead.
You are doing the right thing...any help at this stage would only enable her. My soul aches just thinking about what you both are going through...hang in there. I've had many come back to me after a decade and say that my firmness (and that of NA/AA) enabled them to see the light.

As for the borderline personality disorder...that is incredibly difficult to handle. Just be careful...it can destroy you as well.
 

TIDE-HSV

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You are doing the right thing...any help at this stage would only enable her. My soul aches just thinking about what you both are going through...hang in there. I've had many come back to me after a decade and say that my firmness (and that of NA/AA) enabled them to see the light.

As for the borderline personality disorder...that is incredibly difficult to handle. Just be careful...it can destroy you as well.
Hard enough, when it's a close friend. Infinitely harder when it's a family member...
 

J0eW

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Jul 18, 2020
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Add to those who suffer from mental illness, those children who have learning disabilities. A high percentage of those incarcerated in prison have learning disabilities which marks them throughout their childhood and carries forward into adulthood.

Unfortunately, money is not the only issue. Understanding mental illness is in its infancy. A true and complete understanding of the causes and treatment is many decades away. Because of this many are condemned to the waste pile of society.
 

rolltide_21

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Since March 2020 we’ve had three suicides in our small school (2A). Couple this with other issues, our congregation decided to have some type of resource for our community. This Saturday we’re hosting a Emotional and Mental Wellness Seminar. All of the speakers are licensed counselors in their respective fields. Some of the sessions will be live streamed and will be archived on our YouTube channel. We’re excited about this event and hope it does much good. The topics are weighty and each session is only 50 min so it’s not comprehesive but it is a start and will hopefully provide resources for those who are dealing with mental health problems.
 

J0eW

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Jul 18, 2020
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Back in the '70's, a friend of mine came over to watch a little NFL Sunday games and have a few brews while doing so.

My friend argued with the refs and the announcers until I became concerned. Under cross examination, he admitted to hearing things from the TV that I wasn't hearing.

Afterwards, I contacted his parents with this news. They scheduled a psych appointment and his evaluation was schizophrenia.

That was long ago. He is fairly OK when he takes his meds, but that does not always happen.

A few years ago, his Mother died and I found out that she had suffered from schizophrenia.

So sad. Lives wasted and destroyed.
 

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