YES to mental health parity

[mdmc]

YES
Who is with me? God Bless the Dems for pushing where others fear to even talk.

When we "fight them over there" we still need to fight PTSD, depression, suicide, drug addiction, dwi, adulatory, divorce, and sleep disorders over here.

Mental health parity is a national security issue.

I truly thank the Dems for kicking this idea around. Who supports them?

I do!

[Bluerthanblue]

1. me too-

:hi:

[aquart]

2. I do.

But I don't expect to see it in my lifetime.

[BOSSHOG]

3. I believe what is going on in the Senate right now

is merely good versus evil. Republicans do not care about, nor support the troops (over there or here.) They want to take care of their war profiteering buddies or some may even fear cheney. Sad, very sad indeed. Democrats for all their faults are quantum leaps better then the current alternative.

[TahitiNut]

4. Mental health should be a requisite part of the public education system.

... along with "physical education." Basic logic, critical thinking skills, and a basic "tool kit" for using one's mental facilities in a healthy way is essential, and is the foundation for ANY 'education.'

[woo me with science]

5. Mental health needs a serious housecleaning first.

A sickening percentage of so-called "mental health" services are based in myth and are a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. I will be for full mental health parity once the woo woo practitioners dealing in repressed memories of abuse, "energy therapies," EMDR, and other garbage are purged from the system. Just as an example, there is growing evidence that much of PTSD treatment today is based in completely false assumptions and probably makes trauma symptoms worse rather than better. Similarly, most addiction treatment programs actually have success rates that are completely comparable to no treatment at all.

Yes, there should be mental health parity, but only for empirically validated treatments. And, no, garbage studies on EMDR don't count. The voodoo has to go.

[mdmc]

8. I think that there are very effective treatments out there right now

I disagree that most treatments are a "complete waste". As far as I know, there are no health insurance plans that cover energy therapies, or repressed memories.
What evidence is there that ptsd treatment makes the symptoms worse?

As far a addiction goes, treatment is the only option - jail is not an option, nor is "no treatment at all".

I think that if a consumer of MH services feels that there is a benefit to treatment, then the treatment has merit.

So, to close, if someone feels like less of a victim by attending a weekly rape support group or weekly counseling, then health insurance should provide coverage for weekly services. Currently, MH services are not covered the same way that other health treatments are covered.

Are there any "empirically validated treatments" that you can think of that are currently in use?
I think just about everything is at least somewhat effective. Currently none of it is being funded sufficiently.

What should be the next step? Thank you in advance for replying to the OP and for contributing to the discussion on this issue.

Peace and low stress.

[sandnsea]

11. otoh

There are people like you who make statements based on personal belief and who do as much harm as they think they're preventing.

There is no guarantee in ANY mental health treatment. It's just the way it is.

[mdmc]

14. agreed

:kick:

[mdmc]

13. kick

for answers

[porphyrian]

6. Yes, this is one of the things they need to be doing. - n/t

[EFerrari]

7. K&R

[pacalo]

9. Kick!

To ignore the mental problems beset by those who fought in the boy king's war is immoral & beyond my comprehension.

But did you know that, generally, schizophrenia can be triggered by a traumatic, stressful event in anyone's life (who is susceptible to the disease)? I'd like to see a lot more focus on mental health care to help all who are afflicted. Only those who have been given the burden seem to really understand that a lot more needs to be done for the mentally disabled besides handing out prescriptions & leaving them on their own, leaving it to chance that they will get the prescriptions filled & take the medication.

[mdmc]

10. In fact I do know that

I am often amazed at how many MH consumers point to their first lsd or pot experience as the onset of their disease.
I think that these drugs mimic the illness, thus triggers the latent illness.

I agree with your reply and thank you for posting.

Peace and low stress...

[KAT119]

12. K&R