<p>This year, 2012, heralds the 5-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre. </p>
<p>And today is one month after the Aurora, CO shooting. Since that tragedy, two other shootings have made national headlines. </p>
<p>In many of the massacres, especially the Virginia Tech and Aurora ones, it seems as if the perpetrators had mental illnesses. In fact, both James Holmes and Cho Seung-Hui had seen psychologists/psychiatrists.</p>
<p>From watching the videos that he made, it also seems as if Cho Seung-Hui was a misanthrope. </p>
<p>Why do you think that some people develop such hateful attitudes toward society? And what can we do as a society to help people with such views before it’s too late? </p>
<p>What are some problems with the mental health system and the care that the mentally ill receive?</p>
<p>Finally, do you think that the problem lies mainly in access to care–in other words, those who need help don’t have the money to get it? Or do you think that there’s a deeper reason(s) beyond money? If so, what is that reason(s)?</p>
<p>I think it would be easier to fix the gun laws than to prevent such tragedies by changing the mental health system.</p>
<p>Many people have mental illnesses. Very few of them are potential mass murderers. And those few are hard to identify. Rather than trying to distinguish them from the many people with mental illnesses who are not a danger to others, we might do better by making sure that they – and everyone else – has a much harder time getting access to guns. </p>
<p>It’s hard to kill several dozen people on a single occasion with a knife – regardless of the state of your mental health. It’s easy to do it with guns.</p>
<p>Thousands of people die tragically every year from untreated mental illness. Most of them aren’t killed in massacres; they die in suicides and from physical consequences of their disorders. These are losses and attendant suffering on a scale that dwarfs the publicized shooting sprees. When people die one or two at a time, we just don’t pay as much attention, even when the total annual toll is like 100 Virginia Techs or even multiple 9/11s. That’s the result of our broken mental health “system.”</p>
<p>IMHO, most people suffering with mental illness do not think they are the sick ones. It is a rare person who realizes that he or she needs help.</p>
<p>The doctors have told me we are very fortunate that our two sons were the ones who realized they were ill and asked for help. It’s not an easy road, but they’re fighting hard. I never knew the tricks the mind could play on a person until this past year. It’s very scary. I keep thinking of what would have happened to my boys (young men!) if they didn’t have such strong support and excellent medical care.</p>
<p>The balancing line between civil liberties and helping people with mental illness who do not realize or admit that they are ill is the crux of this issue, I think. I lost a brother to suicide after he developed some kind of paranoia symptoms in his mid-40s. We never had a diagnosis because he refused treatment, and could present “nomally” for brief periods when under pressure to do so (eg, talking to police). My personal opinion is that making it easier to get at least a 72 hours psych hold put on someone even if they have not threatened themselves or other would go a long ways on this.</p>
<p>I also believe that our society’s fairly permissive attitude on recreational marijuana use is part of the problem for some people as well. I smoked some myself back in the 70s, and of course did not realize that a medical link has been established between smoking pot and developoing psychosis. My brother was a long time, regular pot smoker. The attitude that pot can’t hurt you and is harmless is one I would like to see debunked. I have made sure my kids are well aware, and I think they will never touch it.</p>
<p>My brother used a gun to kill himself. While it is easy to say that we should keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill people, he owned guns for his whole adult life before this happened. I know there is plenty of government paranoia about having a better registration system, but IF we could have gotten him a diagnosis, it would have been possible to have his guns confiscated. At least until he was certified by a psychiatrist as fit to have them again. Sort of like taking away a felon’s right to vote until they are off parole. But you need a record of who has guns before you can do that; the sooner we start requiring records on every transaction (even personal ones), the sooner we could get there. He might have found another way to kill himself, but he was see-sawing back and forth between reaching out and running away from help at the time of his death. A gun is just so easy and so final…</p>
<p>I’m sorry for your loss Intparent. My father, died from depression in his early 40’s.
I believe he took an overdose of his prescribed medication, although the toxicology reports were inconclusive. </p>
<p>( re marijuana however- I am a fan for myself. Out of desperation, I tried it for pain relief when the side effects of prescribed medication wasn’t tolerable- it should be legalized and regulated)</p>
<p>A large segment of our society dwells on violence, in television, in books, in movies, video games, in their music…I don’t think it is surprising that for some people that repeated stimulus is detrimental to their health.
Combine exposure to violence with drugs & or alcohol :(</p>
<p>Even for people who expose themselves in small doses, like watching “The Closer” ;), every week, it is a stress. ( but just like “life is not fair”, another truism is that we need stress to survive)</p>
<p>However, one thing nationally that we must do IMO, is provide better services for those vets in the military and after discharge.</p>
<p>^This line stood out to me: “Today 95 percent of the in-patient beds that were available for psychiatric patients in 1955 are gone.” That is true! Twice in the past few months, we looked into in-patient treatment for my younger son. There were no beds available in our town! The doctor himself kept making phone calls to locate a hospital that would take him, in communities about an hour away. (In each case, we ended up not admitting him after the crisis passed, but it was an eye-opener.)</p>
<p>On the other hand- where is the funding going to come from for more beds?
Re: homelessness and mental illness- what came first?
Of the mentally ill- how many came from a stable home?
How many were born to parents who weren’t prepared physically, emotionally or financially to raise a child?</p>
<p>I think all round better health care including accurate info about sexual health will make an impact.</p>
<p>Good idea, BCEagle91. Our county schools’ health classes cannot even cover birth control except for abstinence. I cannot imagine them covering other relevant issues and concerns. It is no wonder we have some of the problems we have.</p>
<p>I think it 's getting worse. My MIL’s home town had the State Hospital which housed those who were mentally incompetent. Many of those who went there spent short stints regularly there, were not permanent residents. That’s where those whose addictions, and other such issues went out of hand went to recuperate. There isn’t any such place to go now days. You gotta tough it out. Maybe see a psychologist/social worker who will try to get you some meds that take 2-6 weeks to work if you are diligent enough to take them and patient enough to wait for the effects.</p>
<p>Out of pocket costs are high for treatment and many mental health providers do not accept insurance. With so many Americans just getting by, these type of expenses are not reasonable for families.</p>
<p>One of my big problems with the whole mental health field is that it is so unpredictable. The mind is so complicated and not measurable in so many ways. What works for one person does not work for another. Not all patients are willing participants. And those who are willing are often punished by society because of the stigma attached to mental health issues, so people are hesitant to seek help. </p>
<p>If you went to a string of five doctors, you might get different diagnoses. Where if you are obese, it can be seen. If you have high blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar, it can be measured.</p>
<p>I took first-aid in my third job when they were looking to train first-responders. A lot of the other stuff you only learn if it happens to you. Things like how the insurance system works, what over-the-counter vs prescriptions means, the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist, what depression, bipolar, schizophrenia are, how they are treated, the biological nature of these diseases, effects on families, etc.</p>
<p>If you have more people that can recognize this and know how to deal with it, then there are more chances to prevent something tragic from happening.</p>
<p>We have huge overall health problems with over half the country in the overweight or obese category and a few weeks on nutrition and exercise (not gym itself) would at least equip students with the knowledge on how to improve.</p>
<p>“The balancing line between civil liberties and helping people with mental illness who do not realize or admit that they are ill is the crux of this issue, I think.”</p>
<p>It’s an important one. But general problems with health care delivery in this country apply to mental health, too. The uninsured may be denied access to care unless they are in extremis. Those with inadequate insurance, including Medicaid, may not find qualified doctors in their community who accept their insurance, or there may be a long wait.</p>
<p>Patient compliance, compounded with denial, is a gigantic problem across the board in medicine, not just with psychiatry. The majority of people do not take their heart medications as prescribed, check their blood sugar as directed, stick to the recommended diet, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Mental health does present some unique issues, but in some ways it’s just more of the same.</p>
<p>My DH has a cousin who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at around 16. That was decades ago. She has been on the streets, in and out of group homes, given birth to four babies (that the family is aware of), been beaten to the point of broken collar bone and ribs, hospitalized for hypothermia, etc. Her parents – my DH’s aunt and uncle – basically severed ties with her when she was in her mid-twenties. They simply refused to have any more contact with her whatsoever. No doubt their pain over her illness was profound but my DH was always really anguished over his cousin and couldn’t understand how his aunt and uncle could cut her off.</p>
<p>You never know what you’ll do until you’re walking in the shoes of another, of course, but I can’t help but feel that with serious biologically driven mental illness that unequivocal family support is absolutely crucial. I’ve talked with my DH’s Aunt about what happened and it seems as if part of their reason for cutting off relations with their daughter had to do with shame over the stigma of mental illness. They were upwardly mobile, corporate professionals and their daughter’s problems were not a good fit for their world.</p>
<p>It’s honestly a pretty gothic, appalling story. DH’s cousin got into LSD apparently at a really young age. That’s the family “explanation” for what caused it.</p>
<p>sewhappy, I talked to one set of parents whose son has schizophrenia. He lives far away from home, in a very cold climate. The dad would do anything to get him off the streets, including renting an apartment for him, but the young man refuses. The parents worry constantly about him, but their hands are tied.</p>
<p>I went to a therapist myself for a few months as I struggled to come to grips with my sons’ illnesses. She told me that you would be amazed at the number of high school kids who go to their parents for help, and they don’t get it. I can’t wrap my mind around that.</p>
<p>That’s why NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is so important. They’re trying to educate consumers, families, and the general public about the subject. I took a 12-week extensive class that talked about diagnoses, symptoms, treatments, communication, problem-solving, independence, etc., etc. It was better than a college class. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an ill family member. The most encouraging session was when a young woman with bipolar disorder came to speak to us. She had been in and out of hospitals until they found the right meds. She’s now finishing up her master’s degree and wants to counsel younger kids going through mental illness. She said, “What I want to say to you parents is that I am a stronger person BECAUSE of my illness, not in spite of it.” She really gave me hope for my kids.</p>
<p>Another shoutout for NAMI. I have a coworker with a son that was diagnosed with schizophrenia in college. The parents are wonderfully supportive - loving, educated, advocating, etc. The son is doing really well now, but there have been moments when he absolutely refused medication/support and essentially lived on the streets. The parents were devastated and helpless until it got to a point where he could be admitted to inpatient care against his will. I was largely ignorant about mental illness until my coworker shared her family story. It is far more common than I realized. Thank goodness for NAMI (and similar organizations);they have been a huge blessing for my coworker. I agree that something needs to be done. Young people need to be educated and we all need to be alert to the symptoms. There needs to be insurance support and programs available for those suffering.</p>