Mentally ill flood ER as states cut services

[sarcasmo]

Reuters via Yahoo





Snip< Across the country, doctors like Sullivan are facing a spike in psychiatric emergencies - attempted suicide, severe depression, psychosis - as states slash mental health services and the country's worst economic crisis since the Great Depression takes its toll.



Snip< "These are people without a previous psychiatric history who are coming in and telling us they've lost their jobs, they've lost sometimes their homes, they can't provide for their families, and they are becoming severely depressed," said Dr. Felicia Smith, director of the acute psychiatric service at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.


http://news.yahoo.com/mentally-ill-flood-er-states-cut-services-131133880.html

[Jackpine Radical]

1. No problem. They can just add Prozac to whatever mix of chemicals

they're spraying us with in those chemtrails.

[BeHereNow]

2. Some of the comments on that article are DISGUSTING.

The ignorance, stigma and cruelty some people harbor for the mentally ill is mind numbing.
BHN

[sarcasmo]

3. The right has many vile members.

[BeHereNow]

4. And they walk among us...

There is one person posting there advocating "Kill Liberals."
I cant believe Yahoo allows that type of thing.
Isn't that illegal?
BHN

[sarcasmo]

5. Yahoo doesn't really have an alert set up

just the thumbs up and thumbs down vote. If the post gets to many thumbs down it gets hidden.

[tblue]

17. Do they believe it can't happen to them?

They'd better watch it.

[BeHereNow]

19. I guess they don't think "it"can happen to them or their loved ones.

The current numbers on the rise of mental illness says the odds are
against them. It can and does happen, and lately with an accelerated pace of incidents
and diagnoses.

BHN

[tblue]

26. I have a BIL

who told me he wasn't worried about Repubs cutting Medicare because he is over 55 (and exempt from the cuts). I'm younger than him and I couldn't believe he could be so unconcerned about everyone else.

He's a dittohead, surprise surprise.

He also told me he's glad he'll get his mom house when she dies. Nice guy. I could throw up (on him).

[Ilsa]

29. What if his mom gets behind in

Her property taxes and forgets to do repairs? Or what if she sells it to go live in a fancy assisted living community? He shouldn't count his chickens before they're hatched. And if he, the apple, didn't fall far from the tree, the mother, then he better prepare for her being as unconcerned about him as he is for anyone else.

I feel for you. But, You must have married the pick of the litter!

[wordpix]

52. you never know how much debt your parents might amass

over a lifetime, not to mention that wonderful house the BIL will inherit could be reverse-mortgaged to the hilt, esp. if the mom lives long enough, has a long-term illness, Alzheimer's, etc.

[BeHereNow]

35. Sounds like a real asshole.

&ob=av2e
Denis Leary's tribute the asshole Americans.
Send it to your BIL.

LOL
BHN

[wordpix]

54. love the video, thanks

[BeHereNow]

63. Please, spread it far and wide.

Don't know what Leary is up to lately, but I consider
this video a historical commentary on the decline of our culture and the "Empire."
BHN

[dixiegrrrrl]

73. God, I miss him.

What's he up to now?

[BeHereNow]

74. I have no idea- seems like he just dropped off the radar.

I think that video is brilliant.
I wish he'd do more.
BHN

[Quantess]

76. That would be worth sharing on facebook.

[Quantess]

75. Wow! That was very...um...

I'm kind of speechless.

[calimary]

87. Wow! I'd never seen that before. Impressive!

Kinda spells it all out, doesn't it? Well, some of it anyway.

[TheDebbieDee]

37. I'm a federal employee and my co-workers seem completely oblivious to what is

going on in the rest of the country...........they are only pissed off that Pres. Obama has frozen all step increases (that's like a small raise in pay that is linked to the number of years a person has been employed in that position - a person might get a step increase every 3 or 4 years) until further notice.

I swear I heard 2 co-workers in 2 weeks complain that Pres. Obama was too much different than the republicans and next year's election wouldn't make any difference.

Apparently, these people haven't heard that republicans are aching to go to war with Iran!

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

47. I had the same experience at the Post Office...

... where I worked for 12+ years until health issues came up. It was somewhat amusing, if not tragic, how they would complain about lousy NLRB/mediator decisions on contracts and grievances, yet steadfastly rail against anyone of the Democratic party in the elections.

[RKP5637]

50. I'm always astounded in this country by how many people have no idea WTF is

going on, but are always ready to offer up unfounded opinions with unshakable defenses. It's dangerous, stupid and ignorant.

[alp227]

65. Ron Paul bots or Michael Savage fans?

Well, the most-liked comments NOW are more sane. It's just that RW radio and politics have corrupted our discourse so much that the hate shows in news website comment sections, not just on RW partisan websites.

I said Paul because of the audience members who hollered "LET HIM DIE!" after the question about the uninsured man. And Savage because of his "Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder" motto/book and thus his listeners would get a kick out of knowing that liberals are getting hospitalized.

[Deep13]

6. Cutting mental health services caused the exploding prison population in the first place...

...well that and the so-called drug war.

[sarcasmo]

7. Didn't Ronnie Raygun slash mental health services in the 80's?

[BlueToTheBone]

8. Yes. I think it was about this time of year too.

He gave it some humane name and closed all the community mental facilities and put them all out on street corners. During that time, most of them were Viet Nam vets. It was tragic. And it has only gotten worse.

I have begun to think they are born defective and have no compassion gene and can not feel others.

[liberal N proud]

9. Yes it all goes back to Reagan

Just like every other problem this country faces today.

[RKP5637]

11. Yep, just one of his stupid brilliant moves. n/t

[sarcasmo]

43. The wing nuts want to put Raygun on Mount Roushmore, go figure.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

15. the left and right were hand in hand on this one

The left thought mental health services as they were violated the rights of the mentally ill and the right just didn't want to pay for them in any form. Eliminating them all together was the grand compromise.

[lunatica]

66. Just say it and it becomes magically true right?

Last edited Sun Dec 25, 2011, 01:29 PM - Edit history (1)

The Left never thought any such thing. The Left thinks mentally ill people are one of those groups that's needy and should be taken care of through social programs.

edited for spelling

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

77. That is just it, they don't need social programs, they need permanent institutional care.

It was the left beating the drums for deinstutionalization, the right just figured they could save some money going along with it. The argument was wonder drugs would render the insane asylum obsolete. This is based on some pretty lofty assumptions such as insane people voluntarily taking the said wonder drugs and not being otherwise feeble minded, prone to antisocial or violent behavior and capable of independent living.

The streets (and jails) of any city in the Western world herald the success of this approach.

[Ilsa]

30. RR's policies contributed to the biggest

Spike in homelessness I had ever seen in my life (I'm in my 50's).

[whathehell]

34. It wasn't until Reagan, in fact, that the phemomenon of "homelessness" became real, and I'm 62.

[TheDebbieDee]

38. I have mixed feelings about that.........

Reagan was a real bastard to kick the mentally ill out onto the streets like that but there was sometimes some inhumane treatment going on in some of these facilities as well.

The hired help at these places could sometimes turn out to be real bastards, too..........

[Deep13]

62. Yup, exacerbating homelessness and criminality.

Shithead.

[Warpy]

10. In the meantime, psych services at hospitals have been slashed to nothing

and patients who need a psych consult can talk to a resident who is on his way to going into psychiatry, maybe, if it's a big teaching hospital.

All we need now are the special prisons for the insane, complete with chaining them to the walls and arranging tours for plutocrats who pay to laugh at them.

[coalition_unwilling]

14. One of the bullet points used to bash Occupy Los Angeles before the raid was

that it had become a magnet for the homeless and mentally ill.

Well, duh!

At least Occupy Los Angeles made an attempt, even with its resources severely stretched, to care for those our society has seen fit to cast off. And our big, brave Mayor and his Council hench people? Although many of them have the sacred 'D' after their names, they are pretty much useless for anything other than building a new NFL stadium.

Watching OLA attempt to provide mental health and social services to the dispossessed turned me into a firece OLA partisan.

[SteveW]

92. Same in Austin, TX. nt

[n2doc]

12. "America" May not believe in Evolution, but she sure believes in survival of the 'fittest'

I think deep down inside, many Americans hope that the sick and mentally ill all die so that there is more left for them. And the Rich hope that most of us 99%'ers die, and leave the land to them.

[RKP5637]

57. It's kinda a sociopathic place anymore IMO. n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

13. USA! USA! USA! :sarcasm: - n/t

[fredamae]

16. Witness the TeaPubliCon Health Care System

is reminiscent of the good ol days of reagan when he closed in patient mental health facilities and turned them to the streets...

[tblue]

18. I'd call this an EMERGENCY!

People are dying. What is acceptable about that?

If I was POTUS, I'd treat this as I would any other major disaster. I would send in reinforcements somehow. I wouldn't rest until I'd done something, I guarantee you that.

[BeHereNow]

21. I agree- something needs to be done

Never mind the already existing and increasing population of mentally ill people,
We are going to have an additional flood of returning vets added to the
already overflowing psychiatric hospitals and clinics.

I have to say- Alameda County, near Oakland, CA has the BEST public
crisis operation I've ever seen. They will send a cab to pick up a person in crisis,
give them a bed and safe environment with assessment, doctors who work pro bono
and issue two week supplies of medications and then begin to network
with local volunteers to find doctors who will help, FOR FREE to help stabilize the individual
in need.

I wish more cities would pick up on this type of organized crisis management for
those who run out of medication, or just need a safe place to be for a night.

BHN

[tblue]

25. Didn't know that about Alameda County. That's wonderful.

I used to work in Hayward at a nonprofit that helped people with disabilities of all sorts. We would go the extra mile for people. I'm sure we were a lifeline to some individuals.

But people shouldn't have to depend on nonprofits. There should be systems in place where a basic level of dignity is guaranteed. IMHO.

Thanks for sharing. At least one gov't in this country is doing something right.

[BeHereNow]

32. I found them on the Internet when my daughter had run out of medication.

They took care of her and for that I will for ever be grateful.
And you're right, people shouldn't have to depend on non profits,
although I do believe this organization does receive some county funding.

I'm sure you were a lifeline to countless people.
Thank you for your kindness to others.

Healthcare for mentally ill people is a disgrace in this country.

When my daughter was back-packing in Europe last summer,
she also ran out of medication- her doctor here wrote a letter and a prescription
for her. I sent it fedex. She walked in a clinic, handed them the letter
and prescription and they gave her medication. No charge.

But hey! USA USA USA!
We're number one! Right?

BHN

On edit: SOME civilized countries realize it is to their benefit not to have
people off medication wandering their streets. Pretty simple concept if you think about it,
but people in this country would rather not think that hard.

[Mimosa]

20. The Snopes board contains facts

The right and the left both screwed over the helpless by depriving them of help:

http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=37;t=001063;p=0


Privatising mental health services has been a disaster from what I've seen.

[BreweryYardRat]

23. Privatization is bad even for those of us who are reasonably able to function in society.

I have ADD. I need my medication in order to function as a member of society. My medication is considered a controlled substance.

I can't get refills, which means I have to see my psychiatrist every month. $150.

The only company that makes my generic started pitching a 1% "ooh, it's not profitable enough" plutocratic-swinehound-bitchfit within the last few months. The soonest date that they may start production again is next year.

Because my medication's a controlled substance, pharmacies are legally forbidden to tell me over the phone if they still have any of the generic in stock.

I have enough medication left over (from tinkering to find a dosage that works for me, and from those times I've forgotten to take my pills) to last me until the date when the company that makes my generic may resume production. If whoever's in charge there decides it's not "cost-effective," I'll be stuck paying $50 for the brand-name stuff.

And my problems are just little shit compared to the people who absolutely have to have their meds -- psychotics, schizophrenics, etc...

This sort of thing is why any universal health care plan must include mental health services.

[Tippy]

36. My 6 year old grandson was taking medication for ADD his dad was told there is a shortage

His dad tried taking him off his meds...and he is doing great...been off them for two months now, and is doing great...we are now wondering if he was miss diagnosed.....

[tblue]

27. Could make you scream, huh?

Egad! What is wrong with this country?

[xmas74]

53. I've worked in both state and private facilities. (Mentally challenged adults)

The bad part about the state facilities were that the patients were still living in a facility instead of community homes. Besides that, I felt the actual care was better in the facility. There was a physician, a dentist, a beautician, psychiatrists,on grounds, meaning that the individual received care immediately instead of waiting on a professional in the community to squeeze them in when they felt like it. (And sometimes, they just didn't feel like it. It was obvious that our individuals were not welcome in the community doctor offices, dental clinics, etc. And beauticians in the area don't want them anywhere near their businesses, for fear of chasing off other customers.)

The individuals had nice, new clothing in the state facility. In the private facility they usually wore clothing from the local Goodwill or Salvation Army. In the state facility, they had registered dietitians who carefully monitored their diets yet made available tasty recipes for state to cook. In the private facilities there has never been a RD and the individuals were usually given Hamburger Helper and a can of corn for meals. In the state facility we went out once a week to dine in the community, to watch a movie, attend a play, enjoy a college game, watch a race, etc. In the private facilities we rarely went anywhere that didn't involve visiting another group home, due to "finances". The living areas and bedrooms in the state facility were nicely furnished while in the private facilities they were cast-offs. And in the state facility we offered group sports activities and were regular participants in the Special Olympics. The same cannot be said about the private facilities.

As a staff member I made an average of $4.00 more an hour and had good benefits with the state. I knew people working in private facilities making minimum wage. Training took much longer in the state facility and the background was extensive. The private facilities had about two days (compared to six weeks) of training and backgrounds were back by the end of the day. The state facility treated their employees like humans while the private facilities treated us like scum.

I could go on about the difference for days. What I will say if that if it were my child and I couldn't take care of him/her I'd prefer the state facility compared to any of the private facilities I've worked in.

[sendero]

22. Our medical care system is designed..

.. to deliver care at the highest possible price. Mission Accomplished.

[RKP5637]

58. Exactly!!! And it's revolting. Ripoff Haven = USA n/t

[cbayer]

24. This has been an escalating problem for about ten years.

There are no "pink ribbons" for the psychiatrically ill.

The stigma of psychiatric illness remains shamefully high.

Insurance companies have either reduced or eliminated completely coverage for psychiatric illnesses.

Psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals, are woefully underpaid for their services and fewer and fewer physicians are going into the specialty.

Hospitals across the country have completely closed their psychiatric units because of reimbursement and EMTALA issues.

Even Medicare does not treat psychiatric illness the same of other illnesses, in respect to reimbursement rates and limits on services.

And the day to day stresses for average people have continued to grow.

If you throw returning vets into the mix, you have the perfect storm.

It's a national tragedy.

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. +100

[quakerboy]

31. And there is an aweful lot of it

(mental illness). Until it starts going untreated, I think a lot of people don't know. I know a lot of family members are never even aware of how serious things are, unless the train ends up seriously off the tracks.

[Posteritatis]

41. For ten years implies that it's ever not been a serious problem

Most peoples' attitudes on mental illness haven't progressed terribly far since the sixties; even around here there's lots of people who are dismissive of them, or who tie them to politics or otherwise think there's blame generally involved.

[cbayer]

44. I did not mean to suggest that it wasn't a serious problem

previously. It has always been a serious problem with virtually no sign of improvement (other than the introduction of some much better treatment options, IMHO).

I was referring more to the problem of the emergency rooms in this country. That is the problem that has grown exponentially in the last 10 years, in my experience.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

67. Coincidentally, I just got off the phone with my sister the ER nurse

who was complaining about the revolving door syndrome for mental health patients where she works. The patients are not getting treatment - they just come back every few weeks saying that they are suicidal (no attempt is made, however) so they can get a meal and a warm bed.

The system is definitely broken.

[DFW]

33. Republicans DO NOT CARE

Until a few more Jared Loughners start shooting Republican Congressmen and women, they will
continue to find absolutely nothing wrong with this scenario. But they just don't seem to shoot
Republicans, do they? I guess Rachel Maddow's witty humor doesn't inspire unstable people to
go out and murder people she disagrees with. Now Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity or Sarah Palin--THEY
know how to inspire people to go out and do that.

[sarcasmo]

45. Bigno ^^^^^^^

[Odin2005]

39. !!!!!!!!!!!!

[pitohui]

40. is that a mental health problem?

people w/out a previous psych history who are severely depressed because they can't provide for their families are now crazy people who should be getting mental health "services..." also known as being made fat and neuter with prozac or other SSRIs?

this isn't a mental health problem, it's a social problem that should be solved by giving the folks in questions jobs and/or money

to tell a person whose job is gone, who can't provide for their family, that they are crazy and should be given drugs because they're suicidal is just plain cruel...they have a right to be sad and angry, they are not imagining what is happening to them, THEY ARE NOT MENTALLY ILL, they are in grief because something terrible has happened to them and society has decreed that they are of no value and not worthy of a paycheck to support their families...how is it mental illness to be depressed about that?

we are asking the wrong questions, and it is cruel to stuff people into the "mentally ill" category and labeling them as ill, destroying their future hopes of being employable forever, because we are in an economic recession

there is decent scientific evidence that many people who suffer from "depression' have a better grasp of reality than optimists, who are in denial, so to call the depressed person who sees their tragedy accurate mentally ill is not a good strategy for the long-term health of our society...if we have growing numbers of depressed, suicidal people in their most productive years, it is time to recognize that it isn't a defective mentally ill "crazy" individual, it's something wrong w. the way we've set up our society...we are throwing away good people who could work and they are NOT crazy to be sad/angry about it

[Posteritatis]

42. So much wrong with this post I don't even know where I'd start. (nt)

[cbayer]

46. Agree. I started to write a response and just decided to trash it.

[Posteritatis]

48. Yeah, I figured I'd either trash my response or my account would get trashed due to it. ;P (nt)

[BeHereNow]

49. Wow... You know so little about mental illness.

I think your intentions are good, but you really have no idea
how the onset of mental illness can happen or just how serious
depression can be.
Grief, trauma and other factors can induce serious depression
that medical attention can help lessen.

And yes, we have a serious social problem.
And by the way, you might want to rethink using the word "crazy."
It is hurtful to many.

BHN

[TheDebbieDee]

51. Take a deep breath................

Everybody who seeks mental health services is not CRAZY.

But a person who is under excessive stress made need help to develop healthy and productive coping skills to help them better able to deal with what is going on in their life......until they get another job.

If you or someone you know needs help with coping skills, the best place to get in touch with a counselor is at a mental health/social work services organization.

[Ruby the Liberal]

55. FYI - Jury results on this post for those interested

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Sat Dec 24, 2011, 10:51 PM, and the Jury voted 3-3 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I don't believe that this post is trying to attack "legitimate" mental illness, but rather to remind us that it shouldn't be lumped in with unhappiness, non-clinical depression or stress.

Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given

Juror #3 voted to HIDE IT and said: Have to agree, this is hurtful. In a utopian society, things might be different, but the reality is that people need help and we shouldn't be faulting them for seeking that assistance.

Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Sorry, as I sit on a jury I cannot make a statement about whether a message is something I agree with, I have to judge it based on whether it is violating community standards. This clearly isn't violating DU's more lax community standards.

Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I see a different perspective, not something worth hiding.

Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT and said: I don't care for censorship, but I'll make an exception in this case. Opinions on medical matters such as this should have some medical documentation to back it up. Mental illness is real and society doesn't take it seriously enough as it is. Plus, this post is very argumentative.

[Quantess]

81. Interesting post...

I do agree with some of what you wrote, and I have chronic depression myself. How many of these people would be feeling just fine if they still had a home and a job? A lot of them, I guess.


I don't think your post was insensitive.

[RainDog]

60. yes. there is situational depression.

it is valid to be depressed when your nation's politicians function solely for the benefit of a few and so many suffer because of this.

if this sort of depression continues for long enough, it is considered a mental illness - but what made you ill is the insufferable situation you are asked to put up with - a system w/o humanity or justice. THE ENVIRONMENT in which you are forced to live can make you depressed.

If you cannot change that environment, you can develop long-standing depression.

I have family members with genetic mental illness - I don't take this post to mean that depression is not a mental illness.

But some types of depression spring from circumstances - a death, for instance. Depression is a normal part of emotional life in such a situation. When someone cannot come out of that sort of depression, it's considered something for which medical treatment may be useful.

Some types of depression do not spring from environmental situations.

And society is not nice, for the most part, about people who deal with either situation.

[Neoma]

82. I can see what you're trying to say, but I can't agree.

I usually joke that people with mental illness are normal people who simply seek help with their emotional or other problems (like hearing voices.) And "crazy" people are people who have mental illness but do not get help or are not even aware that they need help. (Like most all of my extended relatives.) Though to use the word crazy is very hurtful and a very muddled term to use. (I think the word crazy should be used for people who take pleasure in treating people like crap.)

We use the word mental illness because something is physically wrong with the brain. It's not very acceptable to have something wrong with your brain because we as a society view it as the core of our being. It stores all of our identity as a person. Plus, if something is wrong with someones identity, then that person might be dangerous or not in touch with reality! Except this isn't always the case. Having a mental illness shouldn't be viewed any differently from if someone had something wrong with their heart, or if someone had diabetes or cancer. It's an illness that needs to be managed and treated just like any other disease. (Something that even people with mental illness have trouble understanding sometimes.)

As for depression, it isn't simply extreme sadness you know. I think of mental illness like this. Anybody can be triggered and some people are triggered more easily because of their genes. The main trigger is stress, and too much of it. If that leads to suicidal thoughts or actions, it's not something to be treated lightly. Mental illness (among other things) pushes suicidal thoughts into peoples heads. It isn't the person themselves. It's called an illness for a reason and when dealing with stress, raw emotions and loss - anybody can get sick.

So, if you've been abused, neglected, pushed around, or have had any heavy loss such as a family member, your home, your job, etc. Then you just might get sick. Stress can damage you.

I also had someone explain to me that the symptoms of mental illness are really just unhealthy coping mechanisms that you form to cope with any given stressful situation. If the problem is gone and you still have the symptoms from the unhealthy coping mechanisms, this is where you need help. Plus call 911 if you're having suicidal thoughts.

[freshwest]

84. Interesting viewpoint. For example, PTSD doesn't come from thin air, either.

[Still Blue in PDX]

90. No one denies there is a difference between situational depression and clinical depression. nt

[Fearless]

56. Wonder how much this is going to cost...

Cutting programs... some cost cutting idea huh?

[got root]

59. This is what our christian society has come to, with our for profit 'health-care' system

What an absolute disgrace, especially for the supposedly richest country on the planet.

Even when we vote for change as a nation, we still get the same old policies that only reinforce our for profit model.

reminds of a story I read in a book of short stories from japan "Old folks mountain"
http://books.google.com/books?id=58fqxCNkI5YC&lpg=PR1&pg=PA243#v=onepage&q&f=false

:'(

[BeHereNow]

69. That is a COOL website, and a great folk tale!

Thanks for posting it-
Truth is, other cultures VALUE everyone.
Not so much here in the USA.
Number 1, my ass.
BHN

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

61. One in ten have mental problems,

one in ten.
We will reap what we have sowed.
One in ten.
Brace yourselves.
My contempt for this country is growing.
Are we our brothers and sisters keepers?
How would you treat someone in need?
One in ten need our help.
Now!

[Taverner]

64. Expect this to continue

Mental Health is the ticking time bomb we have in our living room

[sarcasmo]

72. Been taking care of my wife for four years now

The time bomb in the living room is spot on.

[Charlemagne]

68. Disaster

Look, the conserva-idiots will say they saved money but here is the real cost (other than the normative values of helping people...isnt that something that these 'christians' are supposed to do anyway?)

1. Floods emergency rooms
2. Increase in violence when patents dont cant medicine
3. Increase in homelessness when the mentally ill cant get medicine.
4. Takes up time of law enforcement
5. takes of time of courts


Im sure there are more but from that list you can see that cutting money for mental health does not save money, it costs more. Thats like saying you wont go out to eat so that you can save money, but you have lobster tail every night for supper.

[CoffeeCat]

70. To make matters even more dire...

My husband became unemployed in August and we had to purchase our own health
insurance. The hefty bill was $600 per month. That's a lot of dough when you are
now unemployed.

As the insurance salesperson was explaining our policy choices, he said that most policies
do not cover mental-health services or addiction counseling.

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. How in the hell could insurance companies do that to
people? Mental-health care is some grand luxury that isn't even covered by a health-insurance
policy? These corporations make me so angry. People like us, who are laid off and buying
insurance policies are on their own--often face depression, stress and other issues related
to being uninsured. And these corporations have decided that you'll pay $600 per month, but
mental-health services or any sort of counseling and therapy--is not covered.

It is outrageous. It is unfair.

We all watch the charts and graphs--which clearly show that the middle class and the upper middle
classes are in a vice grip--while the upper classes are doing very well. One in two Americans
lives in poverty. Real unemployment is around 20 percent. Food prices are astronomical and nearly
10 percent of our incomes go toward gasoline. We are being extracted.

And what do the powers-that-be do in the middle of all of this? The cut mental health services
and the companies that provide insurance don't include any sort of mental-health relief in their
policies.

If you wanted to concoct the downfall of the middle class--and cause them untold pain and suffering
and then further torture them by denying them any sort of help in a horrendously stressful situation--the reality we see today---is what you would create.

Anyone who thinks this is all one big coincidence or accident, is fooling themselves. They're
trying to harm us.

[dogknob]

79. Bingo. There's even a big Stonhenge of a mission statement in Georgia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones

[sarcasmo]

83. I think the Discovery channel did a hour show on that Stonehenge in Georgia.

[nineteen50]

71. Remember

‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

[postatomic]

78. It's the tip of the Iceberg

Last edited Sun Dec 25, 2011, 11:17 PM - Edit history (1)

More and more members of the clergy are finding themselves in the reluctant role of mental health therapist, which they are not trained to be. Personnel at State Unemployment Depts. are being trained on how to handle 'suicide calls', which they are not prepared to do.

For 8 years I had to endure watching and listening to a piece of shit President 'sugar coat' everything and ignore the problems that were staring at him in the face. Obama has not been much better. Other 'western' countries recognize Mental Health as a very serious national health concern. Not the United States.

Imagine someone struggling to just feed, house, and provide basic healthcare for their family who keeps hearing how we are in a "recovery" and "things are getting better". Most people in this situation are saying What the Fuck!!!! It creates a culture of declining self-worth. Not a good thing. Not at all.

Of course as far as the government is concerned there is really no uptick in health care emergencies. A quote from the article:

Government agencies such as the National Institutes of Mental Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration could not provide fresh data on use of psychiatric services in recent years.

The problem is exploding right but now (insert in edit) the sound of it blowing up is muffled in Washington.

Sad

[47of74]

80. Our nation is dying

This is just the latest symptom.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

85. So the USA has a mental problem

Wouldn't it be a good idea to fund healthcare and not futile ageing weaponry.

[tawadi]

86. Seeing this in the news

Both local and national, indicating just this trend.

[Blue_Tires]

88. Our local governments were doing this even before the downturn and teabagger elections

[cutlassmama]

89. We can all thank Raygun for this

[lovuian]

91. If they would rather die ....they had better do it and decrease the surplus

population

Charles Dickens Christmas Carol
have we gone back to the days of orphans and beggars on the streets

this is a doomed system

We live in dark cold heartless times

and all pay the prize for such greed ...like Scrooge

[lonestarnot]

93. We must keep fighting for them!