Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Path: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!UNH.CS.CMU.EDU!Hank.Walker
From: Hank.Walker@UNH.CS.CMU.EDU
Newsgroups: mod.politics
Subject: mental illness
Message-ID: <12231078563.47.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Fri, 15-Aug-86 16:41:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: RED.12231078563.47.MCGREW
Posted: Fri Aug 15 16:41:12 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Aug-86 06:58:06 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: Hank.Walker@unh.cs.cmu.edu
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 41
Approved: poli-sci@red.rutgers.edu


I used to agree with a lot of what Libertarians espouse, but what
really turned me off to them was their position on mental illness.
Their attitude, as Keith expressed on August 5, is that we shouldn't
judge what is normal or abnormal behavior, and hence shouldn't
restrain mentally ill people until they have or are in the process of
committing a crime.  This is utter nonsense.  People who hold this
position don't know what they are talking about.  They have obviously
never had the experience of a close friend or relative with a mental
illness, attempt to commit suicide, etc.  Otherwise they would change
their tune instantly.

I'm not talking about people feeling a little down, or having troubles
interacting with others, I'm talking real mental illness, like
psychosis or schizophrenia, the kind that can only be treated with
drugs, not "talking therapy."  People suffering from these illnesses
lose all responsibility.  The correct way to view them is as children.
Would you let your children do whatever they wanted until they
committed a crime?  Hardly.  Suppose your child was sick but didn't
want to go to the doctor?  Would you say "Okay Johnny, you don't have
to go for those rabies shots if you don't want to."  Fat chance.
You'd drag the kid to the doctor no matter how much kicking and
screaming.  The same goes for the mentally ill.  They can often be
successfully treated, but only against their will.  The fact that they
are physically an adult is irrelevant.  Mentally they are a child, and
should be treated as such.

With successful treatment, they can lead a life with some semblence of
normalcy, but only if you force them to go for the initial treatments.
Once they start feeling better, they have a powerful urge to say "Oh,
I'm all better.  I don't need this medicine anymore."  This is true
for all chronic diseases, not just mental illnesses.  Therefore you
have to keep watching them even after they are out of the hospital.
Lest you doubt this, consider how many schizophrenic adults are still
living with their parents.

Anyone who wants to know how living with the mentally ill really feels
should read the My Turn column that appeared in Newsweek some months
ago by a woman describing her mother's illness, the breakup of her
parent's marriage, and finally her mother's suicide.
-------