Dangerous lack of mental health care

sallylou said:
Reba, why are you so angry at the mentally ill? I have extended family members who are mentally ill. My aunt has tried to get one of them treatment for years. Unfortunately, some people will not stay on their medication because of their mental illness (primarily paranoia). The mentally ill live on the fringes of society. People only notice when one of them becomes violent. I know that mental illness is an uncomfortable subject and an unpopular cause. More compassion and less judgment would help the mentally ill.

BTW, this thread is about mental illness specifically. I started this thread to avoid hijacking your thread. Unfortunately, these cases ended in violent crimes. Now that the crimes have people's attention, discussing mental health treatment and protection of the mentally ill and society at large is a legitimate discussion.

Here's the latest information about the availability and quality of mental health care, both nationally and state by state:

Grading the States 2009: A Report on America’s Health Care System for Adults with Serious Mental Illness from the National Alliance on Mental Illness - NAMI
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I've never said that I'm "angry" at the mentally ill, and I resent the implication.

I just believe in presenting the facts of each story accurately.

Patients who refuse meds and/or treatment, family members who enable or cover up for them, and laws that get in the way their treatment are often the problem rather then mental health budget cuts.

Like you said, "some people will not stay on their medication because of their mental illness"--that's not a budget problem.

I don't see how blaming budgets is more compassionate than supporting laws that will get mentally ill people off the streets and into treatment where they can't endanger themselves or others.
 
KristinaB said:
Also, there is an extreme shortage of qualified therapists for deaf or hard of hearing clients. Some states will not allow an interpreter in the sessions due to the privacy issues and the nature of the sessions and not very many therapists have any ASL training or knowledge.
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What kind of law allows states to disallow interpreters during counseling sessions? The privacy issue sounds like a crock to me, and that the states are just trying to get out of paying terps for the service.

There are terps who are specially trained specifically for mental health interpreting. Clients should be allowed access to them.
 
KristinaB said:
true. I know there was a big issue in Missouri with one company that had a therapist who was approved on all insurance panels and knew ASL and was a CODA. She went into her field because of her parents. She had around 45 deaf clients between 3 office for this agency and the agency decided that she was catering to her clients needs too much by signing too much, so they fired her and all of her clients lost any treatment they could get.
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If that's the case, she needs a lawyer to appeal that. That doesn't make any sense at all.
 
Reba said:
What kind of law allows states to disallow interpreters during counseling sessions? The privacy issue sounds like a crock to me, and that the states are just trying to get out of paying terps for the service.

There are terps who are specially trained specifically for mental health interpreting. Clients should be allowed access to them.
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This had been the way it was in Missouri. Numerous clients rallied before the Governor at the time, Matt Blunt, and the reversal came about. Then came the issue where clients would not show up and the agency had to pay for the terp. Luckily the company I worked for had a contract with an agency that provides terps and there is always one available for any the the locations with 10 minutes notice.
 
Reba said:
If that's the case, she needs a lawyer to appeal that. That doesn't make any sense at all.
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She did try to talk with an attorney, but the company agency she worked for was bought out by another and wanted their own therapists. She moved to Kansas and is happily employed there and gets better pay and has a full client load of only deaf and hoh clients.
 
KristinaB said:
She did try to talk with an attorney, but the company agency she worked for was bought out by another and wanted their own therapists. She moved to Kansas and is happily employed there and gets better pay and has a full client load of only deaf and hoh clients.
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I'm glad that things worked out for the better for your friend. It's too bad that her clients had to suffer losing her as a therapist though.

I suspect the fact that the company was bought out and wanted their own therapists is probably the real reason that she was fired. They just used the "signing too much with the clients" as an excuse.
 
sallylou said:
I understand that many people have not experienced how difficult mental illness is for patients and their families. If a family says that a person has a mental illness, I believe them. People are unlikely to lie about that. It's a horrible stigma. Admitting that your loved one is not mentally well is very painful.

Mental health issues also include addictions, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, etc. Veterans often return with addictions and PTSD (my dad and uncles did from WWII). The human cost is staggering.
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Autism (Autistic Spectrum Disorders or ASD) Causes, Diagnosis, Information, Symptoms, and Treatment by MedicineNet.com

The only thing that approaches mental illness in ASD is the accompanying anxiety that can be treated if it becomes overwhelming.

Autism spectrum disorders are considered developmental disorders and should not be confused with childhood schizophrenia which is a mental illness.
 
KristinaB said:
She did try to talk with an attorney, but the company agency she worked for was bought out by another and wanted their own therapists. She moved to Kansas and is happily employed there and gets better pay and has a full client load of only deaf and hoh clients.
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If she was wrongfully terminated her case doesn't go away with a transfer of ownership. If anything it HELPS her case.
 
sallylou said:
Two separate shootings in two different locations this week. Parents of each shooter had tried to access mental health care for the men.

The Associated Press: Pentagon shooter had a history of mental illness

The mother asked law enforcement to take this man to a mental health facility.

Father: accused school shooter suffers from schizophrenia - KWGN

The father had tried to access mental health care. Colorado ranks 50th in available beds in mental health treatment centers.

With more budget cuts, the problem is likely to get worse. It's tragic for everyone involved.
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sallylou - I'm trying to see where in the articles you posted that the tragedy was the result of lack of mental health care. guide me.
 
Exactly......And it appears he was pulled over twice here because the article says Texarkana.....but here they are reporting he was stopped in Amarillo.....Those are about 500 miles apart (guessing)

I edited post 30 because I am not sure if this is the same stop or not.....
 
Bott, the diagnosis for autism is contained in Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This axis includes developmental disorders. This doesn't mean that autism is a mental illness like schizophrenia or depression contained in other axes. It's just the way the medical system sets up the diagnosis. I thought that neurologists make the diagnosis of autism so it seems strange that the diagnosis remains in the DSM. Maybe someone here who knows more about it can explain it.

Medical insurers refuse to cover therapy for autistic people because it is diagnosed as a mental disorder. I believe that Congress should require insurers to cover autism in the same way that insurers are now required to cover biologically based mental illnesses. Autistic people benefit from therapy like sensory integration therapy and other types of occupational therapy.
 
sallylou said:
Bott, the diagnosis for autism is contained in Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This axis includes developmental disorders. This doesn't mean that autism is a mental illness like schizophrenia or depression contained in other axes. It's just the way the medical system sets up the diagnosis. I thought that neurologists make the diagnosis of autism so it seems strange that the diagnosis remains in the DSM. Maybe someone here who knows more about it can explain it.

Medical insurers refuse to cover therapy for autistic people because it is diagnosed as a mental disorder. I believe that Congress should require insurers to cover autism in the same way that insurers are now required to cover biologically based mental illnesses. Autistic people benefit from therapy like sensory integration therapy and other types of occupational therapy.
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I know quite a bit about it really, since I have spent 53 years living with it.
I behavior therapy was used extensively with me in childhood.
Medical insurers will treat autistics for conditions related such as anxiety.
 
My eldest child had sensory integration and occupational therapy. What I discovered is that there is a shortage of pediatric occupational therapists and that therapy is very expensive. I was lucky because my insurance paid for part of it. I understand that many people have difficulty getting insurance to cover it and paying for it out of pocket.
 
Mental Health issue is a big one in many western countries.

In Australia, we don't have mental hospitals (Govt closed them all in the '70s) only mental health clinics or a psych ward.

There are so many people here who needs help but are placed on waiting list for help. Waiting list for specialised mental health help is extensive.

We need more funding for mental health and for general health, too.
 
in nz we dont have many psych wards(the crisis teams see only 2% of the mentally ill).
 
shel90 said:
I totally agree and it seems like every family has someone with a mental illness.
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Agreed. There's a history of depression so severe in my family on both sides that several members of my family have required hospitalization for it. More suffer from it from time to time. Those who have to dealt with that issue knows all to well what it takes to get hospitalized for it. In two cases, the depression was low thyroid related.
 
sallylou said:
I understand that many people have not experienced how difficult mental illness is for patients and their families. If a family says that a person has a mental illness, I believe them. People are unlikely to lie about that. It's a horrible stigma. Admitting that your loved one is not mentally well is very painful.

Mental health issues also include addictions, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, etc. Veterans often return with addictions and PTSD (my dad and uncles did from WWII). The human cost is staggering.
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I have personally witnessed Judges taking the word of an attorney that a specific opposing member in a civil case was mentally ill.

The Judge took the attorneys word over a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist with 20 years experience diagnosing and treating the very specific "mental illness" this person was accused of. The Psychiatrist stated the person DID NOT HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS.

It infuriated the Judge and the testimony was thrown out.

People don't get paid unless there are mentally ill folks to treat. Its big business.

Lots of drug money to be had by pharmaceutical companies. Its a dirty business.

When I was growing up, kids did not die of heart attacks while playing sports. When a child talked back, they were spanked. When they acted up in class, they were put in a corner.

Now, its all considered abuse .... isn't drugging kids also abusive?
 
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