The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Mental Illness

Mental illness is a terrible thing, it is terrible for the mentally ill, it is terrible for their families, and it is terrible for society. And we should acknowledge this terribleness, and take actions to help the mentally ill, their families, and society, and reduce this terribleness.

I also believe that we as a society must do a better job of detecting mental illness, and requiring that the mentally ill undergo treatment. And that this treatment should occur at a private or public facility, and at a clinic or in an institution or half-way housing where the mentally ill can be monitored for their illness and treatment. For it is a tragic fact that the mentally ill cannot be trusted to take their medications or attend counseling sessions, without being monitored and impelled. In today’s society, we have become far more concerned about the rights of the mentally ill, and less concerned about the rights of our citizens who are impacted by the actions of the mentally ill. We need to rethink this approach and come up with a better way of dealing with mental illness in our society.

We need to openly acknowledge mental illness in ourselves, in a family member, and in our citizens. And this acknowledgment should be that mental illness is a physiological problem, and not a personal shortcoming. And in many cases, mental illness is treatable and controllable. I myself have experience periods of depression and anxiety in my life, which has required therapy and medications, and is treatable and controlled. In those cases where it is not treatable or controllable, we need to exercise compassion, but we also need to institutionalize these mentally ill people, before they become a danger to themselves or others.

And I know whereas I speak, as my older sister suffered from schizophrenia, with a touch of paranoia, her entire short adult life. She spent much of her adult life in institutions, half-way houses, and mental illness facilities until her tragic death at an early age. My sister tragically died of a communicable disease that she contracted. A disease that is treatable and curable. But because she shunned doctors and social workers it was not discovered and treated, and she died as a result. Fortunately, she isolated herself when she became ill so that she did not transmit the disease to anyone else. If she had not isolated herself she could have transmitted this disease to others who may have suffered tragic results as well. So, although my sister’s mental illness posed no immediate danger to herself or others, it did pose a long-term danger to herself and others. And this long-term danger needs to be considered (along with other individual factors and circumstances) when deciding whether a mentally ill person needs to be required to undergo treatment for their mental illness.

I have no specific answers on how to solve the mental health issues in America. I am waiting to hear specific answers from wiser and more intelligent and experienced persons of the best way to proceed. But I do know that in many cases untreated Mental Illness leads to serious physical health problems, the shortening of your life, addiction, and possibly suicide. So, my message to all Americans is: