[pachyderm]

I nominate this one, but there are others:

Why Kendra?s Law Should Spread Across the Nation | Caregivers, Family & Friends

[Maven]

I agree with some of it, but I still have a problem with forcing anyone to take medication, because you never know how you will react. It may be rare, but it's possible just taking a medication once can kill you or cause severe harm.

[venusss]

I think anybody who proposed forced treatment should volunteer to take these drugs for period of time.... it might make them see it's not "lack of insight" that makes people refuse "treatment". Until then... I see a strong sadistic/psychopath/not right in their heads streak in these people.

[glok]

Dr. Grohol offers this: The Many Problems with the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act | World of Psychology

[venusss]

This woman is also golden

CBC, Stop Telling People With Mental Illness They Don't Need Medication | Susan Inman

*ONOOOZ! Stop freedom of speech and research that doesn't support MY point of view? What if somebody goes off their meds?" (seriously, many people go off the meds cause that **** ain't working for them. So what you propose? Ram it down their throats till they quietly drool in the corner and don't bother their family anymore?

These "caretakers" who want to absolutelly rule out any psychological influence.... there is something sketch about.... there is plenty of these mommies around the net, with the story of "my child is ill in their head. Their illness started around the time of my messy divorce, but that has nothing to do with it! At all! I like them so much more when they are on their APs! I mean they don't like it, but they are ill, they have no right to decide..." Of course, some of these come to fame talking about their children as mass murders in making (often posting pictures of these children too).

[MotownJohnny]

VenusHalley - I completely agree with you.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Yeah the second guy they are talking about who was 9 days out of prison was not given any medication to take with him on the way out and could not get an immediate doctors appointment. While I don't support forced treatment I think treatment availability would be nice. Going off anti-psychotics without a taper because you can't get meds is really not a viable treatment option.

[Maven]

It really sickens me how most of society blankets mentally ill people as all the same, all on the edge, all about to go blow a bunch of people away. They don't care (or don't believe) that the meds have the risks they do, and the side effects they do. They'll say, "Yes, you lose your sex drive, but at least you're not washing your hands over and over!" Well, EF me! I would rather wash and enjoy sex, thank you very much. A lot of people think a sex drive isn't important (unless it's theirs). And they don't care if you're a zombie or dysfunctional (in a different way from when you're off meds), as long as it's easier and convenient for them.

Am I saying it's easy to live with us? No. But controlling our mental state by ruining our physical state is wrong, in so many ways. And altering one mental state for another when both are negative is not the answer, either. Our families and loved ones deserve to have breaks...and, lucky them--they can walk away from us! We can't walk away from our disorders, so who's worse off?

They also think that, because we have mental illness, that all of our thinking is wrong (especially if they disagree with us) and it's always influenced by our illnesses. They dismiss our opinions and ideas. They dismiss us.

My body, my decision what goes in it. Yes, I don't eat healthy, but that doesn't give someone the right to give me pills that might harm me in some way, even if it makes me better in another. I'm not (totally) anti-medication, and I am on meds, but I'm not pro-meds, either. And, according to my doctor, some of my problems, such as craving sugar and obesity, are made worse by the meds I'm on.

This is my body. Nobody has the right to control it but me.

[pachyderm]

Originally Posted by Maven

It really sickens me how most of society blankets mentally ill people as all the same, all on the edge, all about to go blow a bunch of people away.

Certain mental health "professionals" (including the author of the blog I linked to, I think) have similar tendencies.

[onionknight]

Originally Posted by VenusHalley

This woman is also golden

CBC, Stop Telling People With Mental Illness They Don't Need Medication | Susan Inman .

ALL the talking points and ZERO empathy. Holy crap, she's a real winner!

The thing with these outpatient commitment laws is that they force the county/ state, city to provide the services, so yeah, if you give people access to housing, rehabilitation services, family support, etc, you may see better outcomes than if you don't--but the forced medication isn't necessarily the driving force behind them.

Medications that alter the function of the brain as a first and often only treatment is problematic. Thinking force can heal and reducing the human experience to a disease is problem. So yeah, mental health professionals lack insight--often into the most basic things that make us human.

I'd stand in line to get a daily shot of extra seratonin (sp?) but that would just make too much sense.

[ThisWayOut]

I would just like to say that not all mental health professionals feel that forced meds are a splendid idea. I've met several that do feel that way, but I have also met several that do not. I think it's easy to get reactive when you feel out of control about situations. Sadly, it's the reactive ones that have the loudest voices.

[Perna]

I don't see much wrong with Kendra's law and assisted outpatient treatment. It sounds a much better alternative to me than prison and innocent bystanders getting hurt. If a criminal gets out of prison and commits another crime they go back to prison, longer sentence, less freedom, etc. Watching over someone more vulnerable that has had multiple mental health problems in the past and shown they cannot survive/thrive on their own (and have no other support) does not sound like a bad thing. Kendra's Law

[Sometimes psychotic]

Originally Posted by Perna

I don't see much wrong with Kendra's law and assisted outpatient treatment. It sounds a much better alternative to me than prison and innocent bystanders getting hurt. If a criminal gets out of prison and commits another crime they go back to prison, longer sentence, less freedom, etc. Watching over someone more vulnerable that has had multiple mental health problems in the past and shown they cannot survive/thrive on their own (and have no other support) does not sound like a bad thing. Kendra's Law

I think that's a key part of the problem...the assumption that someone will end up in prison or hurting people when violence really isn't all that common. The only clear cut requirement in the law is 2 inpatient stays in a 3 year period the rest is opinion based.

What if I said two speeding tickets or even parking tickets which are actual violations of the law was evidence that you were dangerous....cars are after all a deadly weapon...these people are more criminal than the people being treated under Kendra's law....the only real requirement is to be sick.

[Victoria'smom]

My brother was under Kendra's law. It wasn't a shocker that he'd only take him meds when a blood test was ordered. Which isn't good on lithium. I don't agree with force outpatient. Now my T made a good argument for 72 hr holds so I'm more amenable to 72 hr holds. She sees it as inhuman not to allow 72 hr holds.

[Nammu]

My problem with AOT laws is that they are punishment based and are often biased against the poor who have little voice. If by treatment they meant actual therapy and real life assistance such as housing, jobs and quality food I'd have less of a problem with it, but usually what they mean is forced halfway housing( a whole nother issue) and forced medication of the authorities choice despite the side effects( obesity, diabetics, cholesterol, etc that lead to compounded physical problems).

It sounds great on paper, helping people get treatment, but the real life outcome is not a better quality of life but a life spent on probation for having an illness.

[Perna]

Originally Posted by sidestepper

It sounds great on paper, helping people get treatment, but the real life outcome is not a better quality of life but a life spent on probation for having an illness.

. . .and not taking responsibility for it. Society cannot let people wander around the streets with untreated tuberculosis (or, as I was witness to, randomly stop suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk after shuffling along, talking too loud to themselves and start to sing entire Italian opera arias at full volume) and either annoy or injure others. People on Kendra's law aren't just randomly snatched off the street/out of their homes, they have been a problem and cannot/will not take responsibility for themselves. Yes, what "care" is offered may be minimal and coercive but society/everyone else is paying for it (rather than be annoyed or hurt) and it is a case of the majority who are working/paying/"doing" something that gets the bigger vote. Everyone is free to come/go/"be" as they please if they take responsibility for themselves and don't bother/hurt others.

[Nammu]

Originally Posted by Perna

. . .and not taking responsibility for it. Society cannot let people wander around the streets with untreated tuberculosis (or, as I was witness to, randomly stop suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk after shuffling along, talking too loud to themselves and start to sing entire Italian opera arias at full volume) and either annoy or injure others. People on Kendra's law aren't just randomly snatched off the street/out of their homes, they have been a problem and cannot/will not take responsibility for themselves. Yes, what "care" is offered may be minimal and coercive but society/everyone else is paying for it (rather than be annoyed or hurt) and it is a case of the majority who are working/paying/"doing" something that gets the bigger vote. Everyone is free to come/go/"be" as they please if they take responsibility for themselves and don't bother/hurt others.

So much for tolerance and acceptance of those who are different from you. I'll bet you have never been poor and have no idea how the real world treats those who are poor and trying to get treatment or how difficult it is to find any kind of treatment for MI. If mental illness treatment with compassion was available many would be glad to seek out that treatment. The problem is our society waits until people are so bad off and are a danger to themselves or others BEFORE they will offer treatment and then usually as only though a legal system instead of a medical system, thus continuing the perception of MI as a legal problem and perpetuating the stigma of mental illness.

[glok]

Mental health professionals and lawmakers must engage complex problems and their solutions. As with all things, some have a better capacity to perform their duties than others.

The American people have watched as personal liberties have been compromised. That said, what should our leaders do when a disturbed person with a weapon goes on a rampage? Kendra's law is an attempt to balance competing interests.

Americans have become desensitized to violence. Nonetheless, I cannot accept tolerance as the answer.

[ChipperMonkey]

It is a VERY SMALL percentage of "mentally ill" people who actually hurt others. Yes, it makes headlines, but what you don't hear about are all the other people with mental illnesses who do not engage in activities that hurt other people. The scary thing is that at one point I would have qualified for forced treatment, based on a "loose" interpretation of that list. (And we ALL know that those "rules" would be applied loosely/liberally in the name of public "safety") Thank god I live on one of those 6 states that don't have such a law.

So yes, let's take away the rights of anyone and everyone who has a mental illness in order to "protect" everyone else. If anything, these laws will prevent people from seeking help as they will not want to lose their freedom. Stupid doctors....they have no clue that being forced into treatment can be a million times worse than the hell that can live inside our own heads (and yes, I have had pretty horrendous symptoms at times.) Have ADD? Don't admit it or seek treatment because you could lose your freedom! Same goes for depression, anxiety, or even any addiction. Suck it up or risk losing your basic rights!