Do we need a ban on mental illness?

[Disgustipated]

You can't classify mental illness. Most people are undiagnosed.

And it's easy to point to someone and say they are crazy. I got disturbed when the news called this kid a loner who played video games. I'm a loner who plays video games. Does that mean I'm crazy too?

I'm just waiting for the news to come out and say this guy played World of Warcraft.

 

[Gucumatz]

Of course you aren't probably crazy.

I am not a bucket of social steroids either, but that doesn't change the fact that mental health is entirely neglected here in the US. For years mental health patients were treated like crap - now we just have no funding whatsoever to help people.

Having widespread screenings, programs to help people, and treatment available would help prevent these tragedies - but we would need trained psychologists for that.
======

And of course we shouldn't throw everyone into a mental institution. I would love less of that actually in general - but I want actual treatment for mental health in this country.

 

[Loppan Torkel]

Of course you aren't probably crazy.

Of course he's probably not crazy. Not yet, at least. ..but since he checks all the risk parameters, he probably should be under some light surveillance. Just to see what he buys, posts on the internet and perhaps what calls he does...

 

[MobBoss]

First off, having a mental disorder is more common than you seem to think. Yet most of these people dont go off on a killing spree, made all the more tragic by the ubiquitous easy access to guns in US society.[

Now, if you want to focus a thread on mental illness, go right ahead. But I suggest you do some reading up in the subject first.

I'm fully aware of how common mental disorders are. But the vast majority are non-violent in nature...which is why I am stressing the point of those that can result in what just occurred. People who can be potentially dangerous to themselves and the world around them.

My wife is a mental health professional. And in pursing her degrees, I helped her with all her papers, study and research in trying to be a good and supportive husband. That doesnt make me a mental health professional of course, but I have indeed 'done some reading' on the subject. At least more than enough to cover the topic of this thread. That being are we as a society doing enough to indentify the violent mentally ill and keep them from doing this kind of harm. My answer is I dont think we are.

 

[aelf]

There are a lot of mental issues in America - yet it is an issue nearly entirely ignored. I want an honest debate in the public about helping the mentally ill - not a useless round about Gun argument that the right will always oppose.

You think the right will not oppose big government spending on health care? Uh, yeah...

 

[Gucumatz]

You think the right will not oppose big government spending on health care? Uh, yeah...

Yea you are right - but I still don't think it would meet nearly as much resistance as attempting anything on gun control would

 

[Murky]

And this is exactly my point. Our nations rules concerning the mentally ill and potentially violent are severely lacking.

Our nation's budget for the helping the mentally ill is severely short of what's needed.

 

[aelf]

Yea you are right - but I still don't think it would meet nearly as much resistance as attempting anything on gun control would

Of course I'm all for a good mental health care system. If the market doesn't provide adequate care, the government absolutely must step in to provide it - a point that I'm sure you can never get a lot of right-wingers to agree on either.

However, there's no denying that guns are part of the equation. Now, it's one thing to say that it's not practical to ban guns in the US, but it's another to deny that something should be done on the gun side of the equation. The fact, for example, that no checks are necessary to buy guns from gun shows is a disaster waiting to happen.

And yet gun nuts persist in making asinine arguments. They say that in other countries where guns are banned or heavily regulated, people use bombs and knives to attack other people. But what do the statistics say? What's the death rate from bomb and knife killings in other developed countries? When pressed on this point, they will mutter something about a culture of violence in the US and practically shrug. So that's that, then - kids are getting shot up, but the government should absolutely not regulate gun ownership more heavily or spend on mental health care because freedom.

There is nothing respectable whatsoever about these people's position.

 

[AlpsStranger]

I'm fully aware of how common mental disorders are. But the vast majority are non-violent in nature...which is why I am stressing the point of those that can result in what just occurred. People who can be potentially dangerous to themselves and the world around them.

My wife is a mental health professional. And in pursing her degrees, I helped her with all her papers, study and research in trying to be a good and supportive husband. That doesnt make me a mental health professional of course, but I have indeed 'done some reading' on the subject. At least more than enough to cover the topic of this thread. That being are we as a society doing enough to indentify the violent mentally ill and keep them from doing this kind of harm. My answer is I dont think we are.

But your answer seems to be tossing them down the well. What about actually helping them?

Of course, helping them isn't free, and it's beyond the expertise of decentralized "communities and churches."

 

[GhostWriter16]

Our nation's budget for the helping the mentally ill is severely short of what's needed.

I could probably be persuaded of this if we weren't spending on every other thing under the sun.

As for those of you who think the Second Amendment/NRA position is irresponsible, whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Mandatory background checks and what have you are an assumption of guillt.

 

[useless]

Probably persuaded? Mental health is an extremely important problem, there is no goddamn "probably" about it.

 

[El_Machinae]

It's actually how to push for progress that befuddles most people.

I mean, we all agree, it's a problem. How to move forwards?

 

[GhostWriter16]

Probably persuaded? Mental health is an extremely important problem, there is no goddamn "probably" about it.

Not that its a problem, we all agree on that, but regarding government funding...

 

[useless]

Not that its a problem, we all agree on that, but regarding government funding...

You're way out of your element Dommy.

The government HAS to be involved with the funding of programs in regards to Mental health.

This isn't something your fictional free-market is doing anything about.

 

[Borachio]

Oh? Do you mean all these mad people couldn't pay for their own treatment? Don't they know they're mad?

Not to be flippant about the issue, but how does this work?

 

[Gucumatz]

Oh? Do you mean all these mad people couldn't pay for their own treatment? Don't they know they're mad?

Not to be flippant about the issue, but how does this work?

Public Screenings - Sort of like a doctor's check up, except with a Psychologist perhaps once a year has been proposed several times - including this as a typical insurance benefit has been debated occasionally

Improving mental institution funding and emphasis/funding for treatments to mental disorders

Fighting against stigmas of mental disorders that prevent people coming in for help, raising awareness and availability of resources

Prevent mental disorders from becoming perm spots on a person's footprint/record if treatment and rehabilitation is successful to help reduce the negatives of coming in for help
--------

Just some of the ideas that have been floated around in the past, but fighting and improving the treatment of mental illness in this country is something that has been largely an ignored issue.

 

[Borachio]

This sounds like a complete nightmare. Screenings several times a year with a psychologist?

We, certainly not I, can't even afford screenings for physical health checks.

Never mind that such screenings are highly unlikely to be effective, imo.

 

[JollyRoger]

I could probably be persuaded of this if we weren't spending on every other thing under the sun.

As for those of you who think the Second Amendment/NRA position is irresponsible, whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? Mandatory background checks and what have you are an assumption of guillt.

Background checks are not a trial. Do you oppose having a vision test to get and maintain your driver's license?.

And since you are a gun grabber in regards to those who have been freed from prison (and some who never serve a day), how to you propose to gun grab from them without a background check?

 

[MobBoss]

But your answer seems to be tossing them down the well. What about actually helping them?

And you seem to think being in mental hospital the equivalent to a russian gulag. Dont you realize they would be receive care and therapy while in there?

You seem intent on only seeing the worst possible scenario in what I suggest, even to the point of it being silly (i.e. tossing them down a well). I'm suggesting no such thing.

If you want to be upset, perhaps you should be upset that our current system isnt identifying and doing something about these potentially violent poeple with mental issues that are out on the street often harming themselves and others.

 

[Kozmos]

You non-crazies will never understand unless you had a breakdown yourself.