Bring back the State Mental Health Institutions

[Taverner]

Let them be places of research - of countless studies being done

Let them be dignified

Let them be no different than any other institutions that deal with medical malady

That's the only way

[cali]

1. no. don't.

it is absolutely NOT the only way. Group homes and independent living are far far better than state mental hospitals.

[bettyellen]

6. i have to say my cousin group home was horrifying compared to the state

hospital my brother was in. not that that wasn;t plenty depressing. i just don;t think we'd fund either properly, so I'm lost on this one.
except I;d like to see more crises support. it seems like helping people through the worst of their struggles could help here. instead of warehousing people

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. what I know about a county mental hospital.

Why should they keep somebody in a locked ward 24/7 for two weeks and offer ONE hour a week of ANY kind of therapy? Art therapy. No talking, no group therapy.

That's warehousing.

[TomClash]

3. Eerie

I was thinking the same thing.

[lightningandsnow]

4. NO.

I have bipolar disorder. I'd rather live in the community, not locked away as some kind of test subject. I have friends and family who love me and want me in society. If I become acutely ill again, I am okay with having to have a short-term stay in a hospital. I am not okay with being a virtual prisoner in a state hospital. The thought of it is one of my biggest fears.

If it's no different from medical malady, would you lock someone with fibromyalgia in a "dignified" facility? Heart disease? Kidney failure?

[Taverner]

9. BiPolar is best treated outpatient

I am talking for folks who come forward and want the services

If they don't - they're free to choose not to use that particular service

[jwirr]

29. You said that very well. My brother who also has bipolar is living

on our family farm with his wife and doing just fine. It is winter and he is in his usual depression but he is free. He has never been dangerous. Although his two polar personalities are either a preacher or a biker. We just have to keep up with him.

[AlabamaLibrul]

5. No, fuck no, and if you know anything about these places you should be ashamed to say that

It is my worst fear, beyond all else.

[Taverner]

7. Look - I think you all assume I want the old methods to be used

I don't

The hospitals should only accept folks who voluntarily choose this service

If they don't, they're free to pursue it outpatient

[LisaL]

8. So what good would that do?

Someone like Loughner likely wouldn't voluntarily check himself into a hospital, would he?

[Taverner]

10. He might not, but then again he might

After several people suggest the idea to him

And if he doesn't go - hey - that's no fault of the service - but those who want help should be able to get it

[LisaL]

11. The college suggested to him to get a mental health evaluation

to be allowed back. He never came back.

[Taverner]

15. Free Will is a bitch

But if we had an infrastructure for mental health in this country, there would be a lot less of this

[cali]

36. there is a mental health infrastructure in this country

It's community mental health funded largely through the feds ans SAMHSA. It needs some serious shoring up ans lots more funding but it's a good basis.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. No, no Jesus Christ, no.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_sYn8DnlH4

Institutions will never be dignified.

What is needed is identification, intervention and community supports.

I thought that the knee-jerk reaction about guns was bad. The knee-jerk reaction to round up everyone with an intellectual disability is worse.

[leftstreet]

14. +1

[TheDebbieDee]

13. I'd be afraid that we'd be locking the mentally ill up with

some caretakers that may be sadistic and mentally ill as well...........

I think it may be best for them to be out and mainstreamed where we can all SEE what is going on with them, instead of locked behind iron gates and closed doors.

[LisaL]

16. Well Mr. Loughner was out.

People (at Pima college) saw what was going on. What good did that do?

[Taverner]

17. No I'm looking for a voluntary solution

Don't force people into it - but find a way for them to get the medical services they need

Outpatient, inpatient - who cares? Just give them a way to survive in this world - or re-direct their anger or anomie

[LisaL]

18. If you don't force people into it, it won't do any good.

[Taverner]

20. So you're saying let them starve? Let them live in squalor in our inner cities?

Despite the fact that many of these folks could be helped with the right medication?

[LisaL]

22. No, I am not saying that.

[Taverner]

24. Then what the hell are you saying then?

Help for the rich, the streets for everyone else doesn't sound too promising

[LisaL]

26. That people who are danger to themselves or others should

be involuntarily committed.

[Taverner]

31. Well yeah - that's the case today

But building out our Mental Health infrastructure doesn't have to mean this isn't still the case

[LuvNewcastle]

19. Our state mental hospital in MS

has a good reputation, believe it or not. Psychiatrists and former patients have told me good things about it. A lot of people have negative preconceptions about state hospitals but they can be run well and can be a great benefit to society.

[cynatnite]

21. Yes, bring back the factory line lobotomy! n/t

[Taverner]

23. I'm not talking about coercion, just providing services (aka therapy and meds...

...and sometimes a place to stay)

Let them know the services are there. Canada does this. It's hardly the horror movie some of you describe it as...

[AlabamaLibrul]

25. In America, the state institution was very much the horror movie some describe it as.

And some here would know - I take it you've never been.

[cynatnite]

28. State mental institutions were horror movies in real life...

There is no exaggeration.

They used lobotomies as a way to control patients. They would line them up like a factory-line.

That's not counting the neglect and abuse that patients suffered as a result. The reputation they earned were well deserved and were not that long ago.

[Taverner]

32. Well then DON'T DO LOBOTOMYS OR EST

Don't force people to live there the rest of their lives

I think most folks missed my point, which is that we need more mental health facilities here

[AlabamaLibrul]

33. Let's make sure the ones that are already around aren't total shit

(they are)

[Taverner]

34. Agreed

[AlabamaLibrul]

35. I am not, per se, opposed to more mental hospitals in the country

But we haven't even managed to get it right yet. IMO the entire mental health system, along with the health system in general, needs a complete overhaul.

[jwirr]

27. And do we force people into them or do we give those who can

live outside a chance to try it? That is the problem. I have a lot of mental illness on my mothers side of the family and both a great aunt and an aunt lived in institutions. It wasn't bad but the oldest one had successfully lived in a cottage on my grandparents farm for years before taken to the institution. The younger one never needed to be in one. She was basically paranoid and all of us even us children knew how to handle her. Her husband just wanted to get rid of her and got 10 of his friends to sign commitment papers. When she was older she lived at home until her death. So there are many persons who are mentally ill who do not need institutions.

Having said that I do think we need some kind of facility that can be used for clearly dangerous persons or even persons who cannot survive outside on their own. Here in MN we are trying to set up adult foster homes.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

30. NM has one

It's up in the northern part of my state in Las Vegas (not Nevada)

[upi402]

37. Reagan, and that BS about freeing these poor souls

:puke: :argh:
when he stopped funding those institutions.

Agree 100% but we have no political party that will do that, just a lot of the House and some of the Senate. But losing real Dems all the time; Grayson, Feigold, and Kucinich next.

[w8liftinglady]

38. Taverner - I worked at The State School for the Mentally Retarded(name at the time)

in a Texas Town ... one which had a mental health complex for the dual diagnosis clients.
i agree with you in theory.
the group homes my higher level clients went to didn't always work out.
the State School was a safety net for clients who had no home to go to.
Our mentally Ill clients received therapy,medication and job training.they were given jobs in the community - but had a secure homelife to come home to.
the staff at MY facility were dedicated.
We did not do lobectomies ar est.our medical director was a nerologist and psychiatrist.
so,yes... it is beneficial to have a stable environment.Some people do better in this type of environment.

[Sgent]

39. Not really in support of them

in most cases... but there are situations where people cannot live in the "real world".

Most cases -- even severe cases -- should be treated in group homes or community, unless the person is actively a danger to themselves or others, or are unable to care for themselves (think dressing, showering, eating, etc.)

One huge problem though (where I live) is that there is NO mental health support. No MH hospitals, no outpatient services, etc. If you are acutely ill you can go to the ER and they will find a place for you; however, when discharged there is no followup because there's no money for it.

[Odin2005]

40. Fuck no! the people should be living in group homes in the community.

Institutions are evil places of abusive Nurse Ratchets