Murder at Va. Tech

AGDee · #1 01-25-2009, 10:27 AM

I was in no way implying that our mental health system and our treatment of the mentally ill is good. I worked in the field for 13 years and watched it deteriorate first hand. There is still a huge stigma in the US against the mentally ill. MOST people with mental illness aren't going to behead someone. There are mentally ill people in all walks of life. There are those who stay on medications and they work for them and you interact with them every day and don't even know it. To not allow anybody with a mental illness to go to college isn't a good solution. 66% of the homeless are people who are mentally ill. If you take away all opportunities for someone with a mental illness to get an education, you are pretty much relegating them to be in poverty. Additionally most mental illnesses first manifest themselves around college age. You can't screen for something that hasn't happened yet. I don't see it providing much benefit, honestly.

AKA_Monet · #2 01-25-2009, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

I was in no way implying that our mental health system and our treatment of the mentally ill is good. I worked in the field for 13 years and watched it deteriorate first hand. There is still a huge stigma in the US against the mentally ill. MOST people with mental illness aren't going to behead someone. There are mentally ill people in all walks of life. There are those who stay on medications and they work for them and you interact with them every day and don't even know it. To not allow anybody with a mental illness to go to college isn't a good solution. 66% of the homeless are people who are mentally ill. If you take away all opportunities for someone with a mental illness to get an education, you are pretty much relegating them to be in poverty. Additionally most mental illnesses first manifest themselves around college age. You can't screen for something that hasn't happened yet. I don't see it providing much benefit, honestly.

Very good analysis. I agree!

One thing that peaks my interests though, with all the treatment options, diagnoses and workshops available, especially on a college campus, how come we still have students feeling so out of control that they have no one to talk to, to discuss their internal issues in an appreciative environment?

We can be all "cold cruel world", "deal with it", "it's like that, and that's the way it is", mentality, but how are we benefitting when this person chooses to go off into the "deep end" and harm another human being? Is there no consideration?

And we do not have to "police thoughts", we just have to broadcast/market the service or application that is user-friendly, demonstrable, and make and see the changes in people.

The young man who killed the young lady had a huge language barrier. Culturally, he probably did not fathom that his thoughts were hurtful to him or her until he committed the act. The young lady had not feeling she could contact legal authorities. For whatever reason, she did not know she could reach out in this country, regardless of her legal status. The part that pains me is trying to explain what happened to her loved ones at home, in China...