Abandoning The Mentally Ill

To the Editor,

What do you think when you hear the words “mentally ill?” The typical stereotype is the image of a crazy person as portrayed in the movies or in the media. It seems to me that most of the information about the mentally ill in the media and movies is like the movie Psycho or news articles about a mentally ill person who has just escaped from jail and murdered someone. This image that is fed to the public can only leave us with a misguided view of all mentally ill people, when it really is only a minuscule percentage of people who commit crimes like this. Senator Chris Dodd said, “The 49 million Americans who have disabilities shouldn’t be considered second-class citizens. The more we can do to promote their equality, independence, and dignity, the better. I will continue to work to ensure that persons with disabilities and their families are guaranteed the same opportunities that others are afforded.”

The issue that should be the focus of media attention is the treatment that mentally ill people need, and whether or not they are receiving it, so that they can function in society. Fortunately, our country has come a long way in changing the treatment of the mentally ill. Still the unsanitary, cruel, and uneducated institutions of the 50s are the image that the media focuses on in their movies and news clippings. But with time and technology, our understanding of mental illnesses has grown greatly, along with the treatment of patients.

The problem now is that drugs and technology are the main treatments for these patients. As the technology grew from the 50s so did the cost. Once drugs were introduced, it was the quick fix that everyone had been looking for. So the government cut funding for institutions, and the mentally ill patients were sent out into society to live on their own. They were promised community centers where they could go it they needed help with anything. But the institutions were closing down and none of the support centers were being put up. This process was called “deinstitutionalization” or to some “an asylum without walls.” In reality, the streets, shelters, and jails became the patients’ new institutions.

When we have that many people in jails or homeless because they cannot support themselves due to their illness, our society has to do more to support these people. Our country has come far but it still needs to focus on this issue, and come up with some more solutions for the mentally ill in our nation. After researching this issue, I believe that there needs to be more funding and support for the mentally ill. I have written numerous letters to our congressmen and women asking for their support and feedback on the issue. I encourage you to do the same for your state and your nation.

Sincerely,

Brian Gossling

3 Country Squire Road                        May 15, 2000