Every time a violent act happens, there is concern about whether the perpetrator was mentally ill. Now, Obama is recommending more mental health screenings in our schools to try to prevent violence.
While I am in support of more mental health screenings in order to help those who need treatment receive it, I am uncomfortable with the thinking that this seems to show in our society. I had planned to prove that we, the mentally ill, are not more likely to commit a violent act. I found a statement by the director of National Institues of Mental Health that said that people with servere mental illness are more likely to commit a violent act. Here is the quote.
Is violence more common in people with SMI? Yes, during an episode of psychosis, especially associated with paranoia and so-called "comman hallucinations", the risk of violence is increased. People with SMI are up to three times more likely to be violent and when associated with substance abuse disorders, the risk may increase much further. But, mental illness contributes very little to the overall rate of violence in the community. Most people with SMI are not violent, and most violent acts are not committed by people with SMI.
Since I struggle with depression and have been on anti-depressants for over five years, I cried after reading this quote. I have seen people behave as if they are walking on egg shells because of their concern that they will make me cry. I have seen fear in one person's eyes.
Fast forward one generation to my being a parent: Much more information is out there regarding mental health issues. Schizophrenia is most often acquired by highly intelligent kids at the college level. As a parent, I think and worry about this often.
Depression is not mental illness. Obviously, it is not productive to discuss anything with people who like to quickly move to racist views. Mental illness has also nothing to do with intelligence, Craig. Violence has it's roots in our society, mentality, immorality and spiritual corruption. This country condones violence on every level and is proud of it! The new wave of blaming the mentally I'll is just an excuse, a new punch bag. Yes, everyone has the potential to become mentally ill or violent or both. However, most violence does not come from that corner. Media hype may want us to believe that so we can ostrasize yet another group. They do it with all their sleepy crime shows twenty times a day. They make lots of money from violence and misinformation. Meanwhile the rest of us suffer the consequences and look for someone to blame who can't fight back...Yuck!
As if alcohol isn't bad enough as a factor in violence the illigal drug issue and violence is at plague level around the world. Anyone that would contest that probably feels like their ox is getting gored. War history even has documented accounts of combatant's fighting in wave's as if they were on potions/drugs, wild crazy and almost unstoppable. Even alcohol can make you feel invincible and well capable of driving at 120 buzzed enough. People kill for drugs and pot too which probably accounts for 99% of the homocides in America, Mexico and South America. Growing up we used to sarcastically with a shrug chalk stupidity of criminals and also for a few lessor non sensical human errors to a person being on "Drugs". Our rationale was geared to wondering just how mindless/delusional was that person? We were probably at the time, way before gang bangers were vogue, more correct about the drug thing then we knew we were! Anger mangement issue's? In the liberal mind anger management is the knee jerk first "cure" solution when they hear racial slurs but, BUT, the solution to a shooting is gun grabbing gun control based on mental illness as the cause. Go figure! Given the fact that every liberal I've run across or read of they all support legalizing pot and to some extent a few other illegal substances which boils down to a ultimatum to society of "legalize it or we'll do something violent". And violence they certainly do, to be deamed mentally ill.