Carrie Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='photosynthesis' date='Oct 17 2005, 11:27 AM']::shudder:: I don't even want to imagine a state mental hospital. whenever they're full, they have to put some of the criminally insane people on normal psych units. they need to stop doing that. [right][snapback]761043[/snapback][/right] [/quote] You're right and they do this alot more than people would like to admit. Offenders are treated as second class citizens. Sadly, offenders with mental illness are treated even worse.
Sojourner Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Oct 17 2005, 09:37 AM']As are retarded adults. [right][snapback]761053[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Too true.
Sojourner Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 One of my co-workers just wrote an article about juvenile offenders with mental health issues. I'll post a link to it after we publish on Wednesday. It's got some interesting info in it from the juvie perspective.
photosynthesis Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='Carrie' date='Oct 17 2005, 10:36 AM']You're right and they do this alot more than people would like to admit. Offenders are treated as second class citizens. Sadly, offenders with mental illness are treated even worse. [right][snapback]761050[/snapback][/right] [/quote] I think in general people in the mental health industry treat the mentally ill as if they are criminals.
Sojourner Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='photosynthesis' date='Oct 17 2005, 09:53 AM']I think in general people in the mental health industry treat the mentally ill as if they are criminals. [right][snapback]761073[/snapback][/right] [/quote] While I've never personally experienced the mental health industry, I know several very compassionate people who work in this area. One of my closest friends is an addictions counselor who deals with mentally ill people every day. While you may have had a bad experience, or several bad experiences, it's not always like this.
photosynthesis Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 (edited) [quote name='Sojourner' date='Oct 17 2005, 11:11 AM']While I've never personally experienced the mental health industry, I know several very compassionate people who work in this area. One of my closest friends is an addictions counselor who deals with mentally ill people every day. While you may have had a bad experience, or several bad experiences, it's not always like this. [right][snapback]761105[/snapback][/right] [/quote] well, during the time i was on a psych unit, juvie was full so there were some teenagers that were on the unit that should have been somewhere else. one was on trial for poisoning his little brother, another admitted that he raped someone. they had to be about 16-18 years old. a bunch of people were on the unit because they tried to kill members of their family. no distinction was made between the real criminals and the innocent little kids. on the same unit, there were children as young as six who never did anything wrong. you have NO idea how scary it is being 12 years old from the suburbs, in an inner city psych ward (for writing poems about my own death), and meeting your new roommate, who is extremely homicidal and on the unit because she tried to kill her classmates. it's really freaking scary. Edited October 17, 2005 by photosynthesis
Carrie Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='Sojourner' date='Oct 17 2005, 12:11 PM']I know several very compassionate people who work in this area. [right][snapback]761105[/snapback][/right] [/quote] *points to self*
Sojourner Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='photosynthesis' date='Oct 17 2005, 10:22 AM']well, during the time i was on a psych unit, juvie was full so there were some teenagers that were on the unit that should have been somewhere else. one was on trial for poisoning his little brother, another admitted that he raped someone. they had to be about 16-18 years old. a bunch of people were on the unit because they tried to kill members of their family. no distinction was made between the real criminals and the innocent little kids. on the same unit, there were children as young as six who never did anything wrong. you have NO idea how scary it is being 12 years old from the suburbs, in an inner city psych ward (for suicidal ideation), and meeting your new roommate, who is extremely homicidal and on the unit because she tried to kill her classmates. it's really freaking scary. [right][snapback]761128[/snapback][/right] [/quote] I'm sure it was a horrible experience, and it definitely highlights the problems we have with dealing with mental illnesses through the criminal justice system. I think much of the problems stem from the fact that there isn't adequate funding to provide for well-staffed, adequately sized facilities. It's a shameful thing that we as a society haven't done more to care for the most vulnerable among us.
Carrie Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='photosynthesis' date='Oct 17 2005, 12:22 PM']well, during the time i was on a psych unit, juvie was full so there were some teenagers that were on the unit that should have been somewhere else. one was on trial for poisoning his little brother, another admitted that he raped someone. they had to be about 16-18 years old. a bunch of people were on the unit because they tried to kill members of their family. no distinction was made between the real criminals and the innocent little kids. on the same unit, there were children as young as six who never did anything wrong. you have NO idea how scary it is being 12 years old from the suburbs, in an inner city psych ward (for suicidal ideation), and meeting your new roommate, who is extremely homicidal and on the unit because she tried to kill her classmates. it's really freaking scary. [right][snapback]761128[/snapback][/right] [/quote] It is scary and no one should ever have to go through a scary experience like that. Unfortunately because of money and over-crowding, some of these places aren't using methods that are in the best interest of their clients.
Sojourner Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='Carrie' date='Oct 17 2005, 10:27 AM']*points to self* [right][snapback]761138[/snapback][/right] [/quote] I had you in mind, along with several people I know here. I'm sure there are compassionate people doing this kind of work in every state ... but I'm guessing the volume of work is simply overwhelming. Support, both in terms of manageable caseloads and adequate funding, is really lacking here, and I'm sure that's true other places as well.
photosynthesis Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='Sojourner' date='Oct 17 2005, 11:32 AM']I'm sure it was a horrible experience, and it definitely highlights the problems we have with dealing with mental illnesses through the criminal justice system. I think much of the problems stem from the fact that there isn't adequate funding to provide for well-staffed, adequately sized facilities. It's a shameful thing that we as a society haven't done more to care for the most vulnerable among us. [right][snapback]761144[/snapback][/right] [/quote] mental hospitals are like society's garbage can, where they throw all the "unwanted" persons and treat them like human trash. It's like a freak show in there. all it does is make people more disordered and more insane. I learned so many insane behaviors from the psych unit and other mental health programs... all the other girls were slicing up their arms, and while I didn't do it for the same reason they did (they were self-injurers), I did it because it was cool. I don't think it's an issue of funding. The basic underlying idea behind society's treatment of the mentally ill is, "you shouldn't exist, you should never have been born." When a society doesn't respect human life from the moment of conception, you get problems. I think as long as Americans continue to accept abortion and euthanasia, then the mentally ill will still be thought of as "disposable" and "an inconvenience."
photosynthesis Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='Carrie' date='Oct 17 2005, 11:33 AM']Unfortunately because of money and over-crowding, some of these places aren't using methods that are in the best interest of their clients. [right][snapback]761147[/snapback][/right] [/quote] also, minors aren't really thought of as "clients" because they are still under the care of parents/legal guardians. children can't really advocate for themselves. psych hospitals often get away with doing this to children because they don't put up a fight. most of the kids at the psych hospital I was at came from abusive homes so they were just used to it.
Sojourner Posted October 17, 2005 Posted October 17, 2005 [quote name='photosynthesis' date='Oct 17 2005, 10:48 AM']I don't think it's an issue of funding. The basic underlying idea behind society's treatment of the mentally ill is, "you shouldn't exist, you should never have been born." When a society doesn't respect human life from the moment of conception, you get problems. I think as long as Americans continue to accept abortion and euthanasia, then the mentally ill will still be thought of as "disposable" and "an inconvenience." [right][snapback]761175[/snapback][/right] [/quote] You're right, the lack of funding is significant of the deeper societal issues, the fact that we don't want to think about things that make us uncomfortable. Unfortunately, this isn't a problem unique to American society, or to the times in which we live. There are "lepers" in every place and age.
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