Mental Illness in America

So many people are quick to say that stricter gun control is what is needed but I feel we are still ignoring the giant elephant in the room.

I am Adam Lanza's Mother

Mental Illness in America

I've been saying for years that the cuts to mental health care are affecting us as a society in a negative way. It's great and such a wonderful thing to believe that we can save every person, that we have come "so far" with treatment plans and medications. That intensive therapy and day treatment programs and community based group homes are enough.

The fact is, they're not. Some people need to be put into long term care in a hospital setting. Sad, but true. There are people who can not function in society. They lash out and become violent and dangerous to themselves and others. They're not just "harmless" people who have an illness, they're ticking time bombs.

We can't save everyone. We don't have the knowledge, understanding or ability on how the mind truly works. It's a novel concept to keep certain people out in society under the guise of "freedom" and "human rights" but there exists a segment of the population who simply do not belong out of institutions.

We should not have to wait until they start committing felonies to get them treatment. Jail shouldn't be the only option available. There needs to be a safe place for them to be able to function and thrive while getting the treatment they need. But, if they can't thrive in that safe place, if they are routinely non compliant with meds, if they are unable to gain control over their illness and not have violent outbursts then they simply do not belong in the general population, not only for the public's safety but for their own too.

Further, we need to push insurers to pay for appropriate mental health treatment and continue to educate people to remove stigmas surrounding it. Help parents like the author in the above to get their children appropriate treatment BEFORE they get to the point of no return (criminality).

Continued cuts to mental health budgets don't serve any good to society. We can't continue to let these children become violent criminals and clog up jails. We're failing our mentally ill population.

Mental Illness in America

I agree with this. Unfortunately, I think part of the problem is that a lot of parents don't want to admit when their child has a mental problem. Whether it be developmental delays, personality disorders, autism, etc. They like to think that their child is perfect and don't want to come to terms with the fact that unfortunately their child does need medical help.

I think there should be a law in place to force people to get their kids medical help, regardless of how hard it is for the parent to admit their child is sick or whatever. Too many parents and family members turn their head the other way to avoid facing the truth bc it's hard for them.

Also, there needs to be a way we can make sure these patients are taking their medication every day, and the right way. It's easy for a dr to just write a prescription out, and send it home with the patient or family, but how do we know they're really going to take their medication?

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AGREED!

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I completely agree. Mental health cuts and lack of access to treatment is a national crisis.

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Mental Illness in America

This story sounds just like what a family member is dealing with on a daily basis with her child. Sadly she has been trying to get help for the kid, and everyone attributes it to a strict mom/child acting out scenario. Its so much more than that, its scary. I worry for the family's safety often. I agree there needs to be more mental health help in this country.

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Then why did Adam Lanza's mother have an assault rifle and hand guns in the house? I agree that mental illness in America needs to be addressed and the stigma removed as well as funding for resources but what bothers me so much about this article is the fact that had the family known of a tendencies for violent outbursts, why the H E L L were there any guns in a home where he lived?

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Mental Illness in America

I'm a little confused by this article. I definitely was moved by the mother's plight- but she makes it sound like it is jail or nothing. Is that really true? My neighbor has a son with down's (adult- maybe 30's) and he lives in a facility and comes home for some of the weekends. I'm not making any comparisons- just that I know that he lives in an in-patient place where he is monitored 24/7. The child in the article imo should not be living at home. Is what she is saying really true? That there is literally no assistance for her to get her son into some sort of home? Or does she just not want to do something like that? I wonder if this article going so viral will help her get more help.

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I agree wholeheartedly and this article was ia very good eye opening read. I can't imagine being in her shoes.

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I work with the mentally ill and all I know is it isn't going to get better. Funds from the state keep getting cut and it is only going to get worse. It is sad.

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Is there still such a thing as forcibly institutionalized someone who is clearly mentally ill? I now take mental illness very seriously after what had recently happened to me. My father in law is clearly VERY mentally ill and long story short 2 months ago he attacked me and my children while my husband was at work. After the shock wore off and i went to the cops, they pretty much laughed in my face and didnt take what he did, or his threats seriously. Ive been living with fear and PTSD since fearing he would keep his promise . He has a history of breaking into my house and Im scared one day he will get his hands on a gun which I am sure he is capable of getting ( because he has before) and more then willing to use. The ONLY thing we can think of doing (since the police wont take us seriously) is getting my husband to get him insitutionalized but for the life of me, I cannot find any info on how to go about it.

Anyway back to the story, the mother mustve had a screw loose to have a guns in a house with a mentally ill son. Not only having them but that she actually taught him how to shoot and bragged about it. Im all for guns for protection but it is coming out that she was a " prepper" who stockpiled guns , supplies and food awaiting for the world to fall apart or end. I honestly think she is the primary blame for this. I dont think Preppers are crazy but I think if you have someone mentally unstable living with you , you should take better precautions in making sure they have NO idea where weapons are. Maybe she was a mom in denial in how demented her kid was, I dont know.

Im torn because I know back in the day they used to send so many innocent non-harmful people to be locked away who has a disability labeling them " crazy" but the fact of the matter is some people are truly " crazy" to the point of being capable of snapping because they have outburst issues. Like this kid's problems were far worst then him having Aspergers . By now, the medical society and law inforcement should be capable of seeing the red flags and take the threat of these people more seriously. Everything is so PC now, where they think because they can medicate everyone that it's okay to chance letting dangerously mentally unstable people unleashed into society where they can potentially create tragedies like this.

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I don't work with kids anymore (thank goodness) but did for about a year, in a residential treatment facility, and it's not a place you want to send a kid to, even if they have major problems.

The stuff that goes on is very, very scary. I worked with teens and we had a saying that if they didn't have something when they got there, they would when they left.

I also know that there is abuse from workers that goes on too.

So I totally get why this could be a parent's worst nightmare.

I worked in a place that most of the kids were mandated to be there, and also most did not come from families where there were financial resources to explore other options. I also would be willing to bet that even if there is an ability to send a kid somewhere else, because one has the money to do so, this does not mean these same things do not go on.

As for for adults, housing programs are extremely hard to find and often have huge wait lists for YEARS.

I have worked in several and also know that some of them cherry pick their clients because either they don't want to work with difficult people, don't have the resources to work with difficult people or their staff often just have a HS diploma or very little experience, so imagine putting them to work with someone who is severely mentally ill.

I also don't know very many Master's level social workers and the like (who already make little $$$) who are going to want to work somewhere that pays in the 20's or 30's a year.

These are going salaries for group homes and apartment treatment programs.

Even field based salaries for field staff can be deplorable.

I went on an interview once for a case management position that required a Master's degree and the salary was $32K a year, non-negotiable. They expected me to carry a caseload from Great Neck to Montauk, transport clients in my own personal vehicle AND sign in and out of the office each day.

F' that.

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I don't want to repeat everything that has already been said because so much of it is true. I do work with children with special needs. My current job allows me to work mainly with high functioning, relatively low-risk children. However I've worked in the past with children with far more difficult conditions and behaviors.

The issues with getting appropriate care and help are real. The conditions of the in-patient facilities are deplorable and frankly terrifying in many cases. The only thing I have to add is that mental illness is SO stigmatized in our society - it is either viewed as something insignificant to 'get over' or you are crazy and need to be locked up. Until we can work to lift the stigma and approach mental illness as we do all other illnesses I don't think we are going to see much change, unfortunately.

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As a mental health professional working with children and adolescents I would have to agree that the system is deterioriating. I work for an agency and we have to meet with 27-30 clients a week to meet the productivity numbers for the agency, otherwise our job is in jeopardy. The agency makes money based on the number of clients seen each week along with the insurance being billed to the agency. The demands are very high (progress notes/treatment plans) along with making sure clients attend their appointments. It is about quantity over quality. I meet with my client 1x a week for 30-45mins which is not enough. I have had clients that I know are already lost not just to the system but beyond the help we can provide them those clients are either hospitalized or in juvenile detention. It is very frustrating and that is why many social workers burn out and leave their jobs. Not a lot of resources not just for clients but for mental health professionals.

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How is it that special needs children are being crossed with children with mental illness? Two entirely different issues. Just bc someone has down syndrome and is placed in a residentail facility does not mean they have mental illness. Clearly, Adam Lanza was not a child with just a special need. They named all kinds of mental illnesses that went along with his DX. Yet, his parents still chose to have a house full of guns and take him to shooting ranges. Sounds like a plan.

Message edited 12/16/2012 5:38:07 PM.

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Message edited 12/16/2012 5:42:04 PM.