re: It's the mental "health care", stupid.

Somebody here said that we dont have the RIGHT meds. That is very true.
mental illness is EXTREMELY frustrating for several reasons. There arent many objective (hard facts) measures and mostly subjective (the say-so of the patient and observers) "measures" that can vary greatly depending on mental status and other factors.
It's not like a blood pressure or cancer medication that either shows that the med helps or hurts or does nothing for the condition.
Additionally, people that go into clinical practice or research like to follow logic. In general, there isnt a lot of logic to follow regarding mental illness.
I could NEVER be in mental health.

Quoting SpaceCowgirl:" I think we are over-diagnosing and over-medicating children who really don't need medication, which takes ... [snip!] ... once you try institutionalizing those who really need help, people will start screaming that we're taking away their rights..."

If I ever became that mentally ill...to the point of wanting to hurt people, I hope someone has enough sense to have me committed.
I would anyone I knew....even my own children, if that meant they would be stopped from hurting someone.

I have a lot of conflicting responses to this.

Yes, I have known many people that have struggled with mental illness and not been able to find the help that they need (whether because of the wait lists to see someone that they need to see, or financially being unable to afford the services they need).

And I have had two family members commit suicide using a firearm.

I also feel that yes, medications are overused.

It's much easier to give someone a pill (and faster) than it is to find out what the issue is, and treat it with therapy (if the person's illness is not treatable only through medication). And far less expensive.




So... I think many people are being medicated when other forms of treatment would be more useful for them. And the people that have illnesses that medication is useful for... some of them cannot afford the medication they need on a regular basis.

Well I just seen on the news that colorado is reevaluating their mental health programs. They're opening 5 new crisis centers. But its sad that it took all these senseless killings before they decided to do anything

Quoting Misty Walls:" Well I just seen on the news that colorado is reevaluating their mental health programs. They're opening ... [snip!] ... opening 5 new crisis centers. But its sad that it took all these senseless killings before they decided to do anything"

That's great....

But there are multiple psychiatric crisis centers within a reasonable distance from here.

They see you.

If they determine that you need more help, they pass you along into a hospital, which reevalutes you.

If it is determined that you need inpatient care, you are checked into an inpatient center, where you see someone else. They usually run some physical tests, and then you speak to a psychiatrist for 5 minutes, and they put you on medication.

You may see the psychiatrist once more before you leave the inpatient center (it's generally a few days that most people are kept in inpatient).

Then they say, hey, here's another program for outpatient.

You go to the outpatient program, meet with a different psychiatrist for 5 minutes, they give you different medications.





You just basically get passed down the line until you give up, in many cases, without the help you need. Unless it's something that a quick fix will help for. But if you have a mental illness-- none of this will help. IMO.

<blockquote><b>Quoting The Doctor:</b>" That's great.... But there are multiple psychiatric crisis centers within a reasonable distance from ... [snip!] ... you need. Unless it's something that a quick fix will help for. But if you have a mental illness-- none of this will help. IMO."</blockquote>




I've never had to deal with mental health directly but one of my best friends has been institunilized (sp) several times as a teen but her parents were wealthy & could afford to get her into a great facility. I do agree that people are over medicated here in america. I actually started a thread about it

Quoting Misty Walls:" <blockquote><b>Quoting The Doctor:</b>" That's great.... But there are multiple ... [snip!] ... her into a great facility. I do agree that people are over medicated here in america. I actually started a thread about it"

Yeah, there are some really great programs out there to treat mental illness with a lot of success. But you do need to be pretty well off to be able to afford them.

And, of course, some people with mental illnesses may be unable to hold down a job without the help they need, and can't afford help without a job.

People are overmedicated, yes, but IMO that's because it's easier and less time consuming than other forms of treatment (as well as pharmeceutical companies making bank off of people being over medicated).

I want to address the high numbers of people on "mood" medication, as well as how these people are "treated' (medication), once they reach that point.

Quoting ~Julie Blue Eyes~:" I want to address the high numbers of people on "mood" medication, as well as how these people are "treated' (medication), once they reach that point."

What do you mean? Like once they're on medication, how they're treated further? Or how they're viewed by others once they're on medication?

Quoting The Doctor:" What do you mean? Like once they're on medication, how they're treated further? Or how they're viewed by others once they're on medication?"

I just mean that I want to address the sheer number of people on mood stabilizing medications. Does anyone have a good number on that? It's pandemic, it seems.

Quoting ~Julie Blue Eyes~:" I just mean that I want to address the sheer number of people on mood stabilizing medications. Does anyone have a good number on that? It's pandemic, it seems."

It's in the millions. I believe I've seen statistics about anti-depressants, alone, let me see if I can find them.

Quoting The Doctor:" It's in the millions. I believe I've seen statistics about anti-depressants, alone, let me see if I can find them."

I'm looking to, but finding very different numbers. I appreciate it.

According to the CDC about 11% of Americans over age 12 take antidepressants.

Less than 1/3 of people on ONE antidepressant have seen a mental health professional in the past year, and less than half of those on MULTIPLE medications have seen a mental health professional in the past year.




Pretty impressive.

This one's pretty interesting and more recent than the CDC stats, too.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/astounding-increase-in-antidepressant-use-by-americans-201110203624

Sorry, any type of mental health or forensic psychology topic really interests me.



Here's another one.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/index.shtml