nmh, I know that you speak sincerely. But you have, obviously, never faced this problem personally.
The families, despite their best efforts, CANNOT care for the severely mentally ill. These people will not accept help. They don’t think they need it.
We currently have a family member who feels on top of the world. He’s manic. He’s paranoid. He’s carrying a gun. We know it, and law enforcement knows it. He calls, but he doesn’t stay in one place for long.
Why is he out, you ask?
Because he’s just sane enough to fool the system. He told the last mental health pro who evaluated him that the gun was to shoot squirrels. He can calm himself enough to make minimal sense for a few minutes at a time. He’s learned to keep his mouth shut.
He won’t go for voluntary treatment. He gets violent and profane when it’s suggested.
He can’t be involuntarily committed till he’s judged a threat to himself or others. By that time, it may be too late.
And we, the family, will be blamed. Meanwhile, I keep my doors locked.
Careful judging till you’ve walked in the moccasins.
Laws need to be changed.
Laws need to be changed to protect society.
I do admit it is a tough and tragic situation. My suspicion is also that these are very troubled people and all the drugs in the world will only make them worse. That's where one can only hope and pray that someone that might actually CARE about the person, STEP UP.
It's too easy to shove the problem to government or someone else because they are an inconvenience. We’ve ad to deal with relatives alittle off - Alzheimer's. We didn't use drugs. It taxed us mentally but we had an OBLIGATION in the name of decency to deal with it. We loved the person. We didn't want the “state” to push them over to the point of no return - it would have been very convenient to turn the person over to the state.
Truly it is a tough situation. Some are probably too far gone ... and drugging them up is all that is left so perhaps laws need to be changed to accommodate this last ditch effort.
I understand it is tough ... As a Christian who is NO BETTER than anyone else ... I believe we have ab obligation ot Christ to look after our own and others in a humane way. We did and it wasn't easy. I am no better than anyone else so don't think I'm being “self righteous”. There are times when our “reward” isn't on this earth ... .