The recent incident in Santa Barbara, Ca. brings a lot of thoughts, to share.  For one, the National Mental Health System is weak and broken in this country.  The laws are a blur, action when needed is far removed.  This serious epidemic continues to escalate right beneath our eyes, and we do nothing.  For example in this recent situation, the cops show up at this guys house before the killings.  Do they search it no, better yet do they access a national gun control manifest to see if he owns guns, no.  Does anybody jump in and put this kid under watch, lock him up, no.  Why because with the screwed up laws in our country you can’t only if suicide attempt is being made.  His father and mother knew he was off, yet did they grab anybody of authority, mental health specifically and raise the awareness for action to take place, no.  Or let’s say they did, could an authority detain and examine this individual, maybe look at his videos and manifest, what about his 3 room mates that were killed?  How does this stuff go on right underneath our noses, and not addressed?  Again no proactive approach to these type of situations, no program in place, no funding to extend the program where it needs to be, including for our veterans who come back from the battlefield, torn and tortured mentally.  Not enough, never to soon, too late!  All of it. 

When is this country going to wake up and realize that there is a problem facing us in every sector, a problem that needs to be aggressively addressed and not handled delicately rather abruptly and swiftly, and without hesitation.  All the victims in this country, lives leveled by murder and torture, some could have been saved if we as a country took Mental Health with the seriousness that it requires.  If more people got involved and actually talked to one another rather than text or emailed or social media.  A convergence directed at those who need help could just save those who have died unnecessarily.

I blame the government Federal, State and Local.  For not spending the money that is needed to put programs and shove awareness in each and every one of our faces.  Too much emphasis on gay, racial or other political agenda.  All of us are affected by this, and might just be an innocent victim someday.  How about a national, and local hotline specifically for these kind of problems.  Rather we have 911 lines for every single incident that happens, no specific for Mental Health problems and I am talking the whole circle of problems that are Mental Health related.

People react to stress differently, we don’t know what goes on inside another’s mind, we don’t know if one will “act out” their twisted thoughts or they are just thoughts.  But in this case, the guy had been posting videos, wrote 140 pages, purchased multiple firearms and lived with 3 roommates.  HELLO, enough signs for someone, or some institution to have taken a hint.

It’s time to lobby for sharing of information between parents, therapists, schools, police, gun sales outlets and others involved when young adults are showing signs of distress. HIPPA laws are well-intentioned but too many young people are falling between the cracks during the time when major mental illness sets in (late teens thru mid twenties.) This, of course, is the age when families and care providers lose the right to discuss the individual’s behaviors among themselves, based on HIPPA laws (unless the patient is willing to sign releases). The current scourge of killings by young people must be addressed through a multi-systems approach.

Two of my own children have mental illnesses. Fortunately, they’ve never had violent tendencies. But when my daughter and son became adults, I suddenly lost the right to advocate for them, which caused a terrible wrench in their treatment and care. I think HIPPA mental health laws should extend to when a youth is 23 or even 25 years old.

As a person with many mental and physical issues, I was “verbally discharged” from my primary of MANY years because of 2 comments about the place that were factual.  I was immediately “discharged” , how can this happen when I have been at this office longer than these doctors were and their own P-NP was seeing me and left without telling his patients!  Now, I cannot seem to attain any atty. because everyone is afraid of suing this person who down graded me in front of my husband and called my sister to see if she was as mad at me as I was.  How can a doctor discharge me while undergoing further testing?????????  Are they Gods???

I have a family member I’m very close to who went through the death of his father, it went down hill after that. He had his first episode and from then on it’s been a joke, they said he had something and something else, mind you she did it in ten whole minutes. Is that a record or what??? I’m pissed off because people are not getting good help, I think he’s bipolar and depressed but what do I know, I’m only around him almost everyday. I feel like they send you home with a bunch of meds and hope to never see you again. Take time and care and just maybe people will stop taking their life’s or hurting others. If I feel this hopeless, I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.

A Mothers Determination and Love

Beth Albaneze, CTRS CPRP

I am writing to tell you a story about Alberta and her 42 year old son Eric who has been diagnosed with chronic mental illness. Alberta is an RN at the oncology unit at suburban Hospital in Bethesda Maryland.  Alberta has exhausted her efforts navigating the mental health system. She contacted House Calls to help get her son’s life back. She could not accept that the day program where he had been for over seven years (after many years in a state hospital) was all there was for him. She even wrote the President of the United States.

Alberta described Eric as a popular active high school student, he was on the football team, had a girlfriend and many many friends. His life turned upside down in his senior year of high school when he became depressed which led to his first onset of psychosis. He had been distraught over his girlfriend and suffered a couple of concussions playing football and also during an altercation with aggressive strangers.

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No one ever lives a perfect life and we struggle with our own battles. At times it can overwhelm us and it becomes too late for those who not seek help. Lives are affected and changed forever. The start of my depression is unknown but my life is always in the look for meaning. After graduating college and trouble finding job I became involved in the mental health system. My battle with depression resurfaced as old issued reappeared with my daily clients. I am fortunate enough in my life to have support to have people who love and care for me. They give me strength and courage. With that strength and courage I was able to admit and begin to heal the wounds of depression. I continue now with therapy and continue with medication. There is no stigma in terms of mental disorder and no shame. You can carry on live a normal life. Believe in yourself seek the help you need and receive the help you need. Only thing I can ask as I see the day to day workings of the mental health system is more can be done. With growing violence, bullying, increased suicide rates, and deaths from substances more can be done. Day to day work there is success, but it is little. We are a revolving door for our clients giving them little resources and few chances to survive. Only hope is to continue to return or to continue to fail once they leave the hospital. If anything we need programs for long term hospitalizations.

My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia 2 and a half years ago. Then was diagnosed with a brain abscess 6 months later. His thinking has never been clear since that time. It had been a battle to sort out how to help and get the right meds.
Today I was walking into Walgreens and saw a disheveled young man gleefully chugging Listerine with no shoes. I wanted to get him some shoes but when walked into the store I learned he had stolen the mouthwash and the police had been called.
I also know he has a mom or dad who worries intensely about him. They are afraid of just this.
I hope my beautiful boy keeps letting us help him. And people within the system step up to give him the help he so deserves.
Boy, did the guy on the street need that. I am hopeful that other people saw and understand how complex mental illness is and how hard it is to get help.

I am just wondering how many U.S. Veterans feel their mental health needs have been wrongly diagnosed or simply ignored and whether they were discriminated against for raising concerns.  I served 11 1/2 years on active duty with no preexisting medical conditions prior to military service.  Now, it is my 21st ½ year and counting for me for my depression, anxiety, insomnia identified at the time of my discharge to be addressed by DVA-MH.  Today, was my last appointment with them … as they actually aggravate my long neglected conditions. Thank you.

And I knew I wasn’t right 

So I planned on going that Friday night 

And I knew I wasn’t okay

Making it the perfect place for me to stay 

See, for most, a mental hospital isn’t a choice 

It’s one of those things where you are left without a voice 

Brought there suddenly against your will

Then before you know it, you are given a bunch of random pills 

But for me, it was where I was supposed to be

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