Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

News

are you scared of the mentally ill..and would you vote to keep them off the streets?

159 replies

zippitippitoes · 03/12/2006 19:07

..the mental health Bill are you keen to see it enacted or not?

sunday times and it's mentally scarred leader

OP posts:

Report

ChristmasTreeIsUp · 03/12/2006 19:13

How can you make sure mentally ill patients take the prescribed pills? Most will not bother or forget.

Report

Monkeytrousers · 03/12/2006 19:15

The majority of people with mental health problems pose a threat to no one but themselves.

Report

Quadrophenia · 03/12/2006 19:15

Having worked in mental health and in the community setting I can honestly say it does scare me to an extent. In my home town essential services have been cut and it worries me that many independent living former patients are slipping through the net and not being checked properly with regards to medecation taking etc. For example I worked in a supported living unit where one guy had sveere problems and was becoming increasingly unpredictable. it was decided he could no longer stay at the unti (private) and under an issue regarding funding rather than the real issue he was moved to a unit where he was less supported. This is commonplace, also one unti i worked in kept a very dnagerous guy because of his funding, they used to literally lie to his psychiatrist at the reviews and gloss it over, i have been beaten up by this man as have many former colleagues one having her nose broken and the inside of her thihg bitten in a particularly severe attack This was not a locked unt and he could come and go as he pleased, would you like someone this violent living near you?

Report

PannpipesforChristmas · 03/12/2006 19:22

Wow!!

No concerns about discrimination hereabouts then??

Should the thread have more accurately read "are you scared of mentally ill, violent people??"..or...are we lumping agraphobics in there to???????

Report

zippitippitoes · 03/12/2006 19:25

I found the Sunday Times wording interesting

Mentally Ill Murder 400

OP posts:

Report

notreallyhereDee · 03/12/2006 19:27

generally no, i dont agree with 'asbo type things' for the mentally ill. they should be takign their medication, BUT they have as much right as anyone to refuse treatment for their conditions.

There is one lad near me who i assume is mentally ill/disabled in some way, as he crosses/recrosses the road several times on any walks anywhere. he does scare me as he walked in front of my car twice last week. i swear he was having a little boogie as he did it as well. Fortunatly i know who he is by his very distictive hat, other drivers wont be aware. he isnt ever escorted as far as i see, and he really is a danger to himself.

Report

PannpipesforChristmas · 03/12/2006 19:27

zipps - is that because it should be "manslaughter"?, almost by defintion?

Report

TheChristmasArmadillo · 03/12/2006 19:29

The mental health services of the NHS are appallingly underfunded. This is what needs to be looked at so there is help for patients and they are not being kicked out or refused help when it is needed.

This is written as a scare story and will lead to further discrimination against the mentally ill who are not getting the help they need in many circumstances.

Report

dara · 03/12/2006 19:30

Yes, there are issues of human rights and freedoms involved here, but I think this is a thread header designed to provoke a certain response. In my opinion this is a legitimate area of concern. Severely ill, paranoid people with a history of violence, violent fantasties or strongly paranoid delusions are clearly potentially dangerous. Is it better to just let them kill so two lives are ruined?

Report

PannpipesforChristmas · 03/12/2006 19:32

or...."are the mentally ill scared of you?"...

from some of the posts here they would have good reason to be...

Report

charliecat · 03/12/2006 19:32

If this is the mental health bill I read about the other day, stating that patients will be able to be sectioned within hours of being released, if they refuse to take thier medicine then im all for it.
My brother is mentally ill, after 2-3 years of living in a tent in the woods, hes been in sheltered accomodation for a year now.
And he hasnt walked out or breached his tenancy thank goodness. So far.
But its not really sheltered, the staff are not trained, they are just there to bounce of the complaints from the community
He doesnt and will not take his bills, so hes walking round with...and this is funny but it shouldnt be....half of a hilter moustache on half of his face. SO hes him on one side, and hilter on the other.
Yet if he takes his pills, willingly or injected becasue hes out of control hes perfectly normal.
His quality of life unmedicated is shite. And theres nothing we can do. hes wandering round thinking people are poisoning him, the aliens are coming etc etc.
And unless he threatens, in fact, even when he does threaten someone, nothing is done.
This bill, I think would ensure he took, or was made to take his pills. And his life would improve tenfold.

Report

TheChristmasArmadillo · 03/12/2006 19:32

I have a problem with the line 'mentally ill murder 400' because it classes all suffering from mental illness as one group, with no distinctions and further leads to the discrimination and fear of the mentally ill.

How would you like the title 'mentally stable responsible for 95% of murders in this country' (ok not as snappy, but best I could think of).

Report

TheChristmasArmadillo · 03/12/2006 19:35

If mental health services got more funding then there would be more money to ensure that any people that were potentially dangerous were not released early as there would be funding to treat them.

This would benefit all surely?

Report

Monkeytrousers · 03/12/2006 19:36

It's just scaremongering - spend more money on mental health services.

Where do you think they would all go - would you vote to open up the asylums again?

Keep women with PND off the streets!

Report

Monkeytrousers · 03/12/2006 19:36

Report

dara · 03/12/2006 19:36

"some of these posts'? Which? There aren't that many.

Report

TheChristmasArmadillo · 03/12/2006 19:37

What about the numbers of people with mental health problems who are a danger to themselves, yet are refused care because there is not enough funding.

Those whose families fall apart and leave those they know devestated because there is not the treatment for them - shouldn't they be considered in this?

Report

PannpipesforChristmas · 03/12/2006 19:37

Additionally, if you murder, then your barrister will seek to develop a"mental health" issue, (whether there is one there or not) therefore it is likely the figures may be skewed.

Report

zippitippitoes · 03/12/2006 19:37

I think the leader writer was bemoaning that all the gorgeous Victorian mental hospitals had become luxury accommodation

OP posts:

Report

charliecat · 03/12/2006 19:37

I thought that when I read it too Pann.

Report

Quadrophenia · 03/12/2006 19:38

If people choose not to take meds then fine, if they are potentially dnagerous when not receiving medication then they should be in a safe environment for both themselves and others.

Report

charliecat · 03/12/2006 19:39

They should be, but they are not.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Email address

You've subscribed!

Quadrophenia · 03/12/2006 19:40

because whenever there are local authority cuts in our area, its always mental health and the care sector who suffer.

Report

figgypud · 03/12/2006 19:42

OK haven't read all the posts yet BUT
I work when not on mat leave with severe and enduring mentally ill people and the majority are perfectly safe to be in the community!
WHAT the article doesn't discuss is how many people are murdered by people WITHOUT a mental illness!
The amount of murders/violent crimes ect committed by people without a mental illness is FAR higher!!

People who are considered high risk are closely monitored by services and risks are kept to a minimum but cannot be guareenteed! But then can you guareentee anyone won't commit a crime?

Report

TheChristmasArmadillo · 03/12/2006 19:42

I am actually disgusted by that leader article and the attitude of the writer towards the mentally ill.

Report

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.