(no subject)

[stillbourne]

 http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/timeline-mental-health-america

Comments

[hardvore]

Something similar has been happening in my country for the last few years. While I agree that long term institutionalization has its downsides - it can be cruel because the professionals don't treat mentally ill people right and some hospitals have really bad conditions - I also think that there should be an alternative that could provide a safe place for mentally ill people who don't have family to take care of them or who choose not to stay with family; also for the ones who are poor and can't pay a caretaker. I'm not sure if the government in my country provides caretakers for poor people with mental illness, but it likely doesn't, because most poor people don't even have access to a single appointment with a psychiatrist. Poor people with mental illness are more likely to go to jail, be homeless or even be killed because the meltdowns can be see as threatening to other people, especially if they are of racial minorities.

Since the bill prohibiting long term institutionalization passed, hospitals have only been admitting people for short term institutionalization - manic episodes, suicidal ideation and the likes of that. I once went to an emergency room as a suicide risk and they let me out after giving an anti-anxiety pill because I had someone at home to look after me.

I haven't properly researched about the alternative my country is providing for long term institutionalization, but I probably won't like it.