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 |  A support forum for writers dealing with mental illness |
 Have you ever personally felt stigmatized for your mental health issues following a violent event? Have you ever read something online or been told something in person that made you feel discriminated against after a violent event?I have felt stigmatized for my mental health, but not after or following a violent event. My husband and I discuss the people who do these crimes. I'm not being judgmental but most of them you can tell that there's something wrong with them—just look at their eyes. Of course, I'm sure somebody could look at me and say the same thing.   But my husband says that I don't have that kind of look in my eye.But, seriously, we do discuss how certain things in their world could drive them to become violent. For example, this most recent shooter; If what I've heard discussed on the news is correct—his father died when he was young, he's always been in trouble for behavioral issues, and his mother died recently—then he might have figured he didn't have anything to loose. It's just the first thing I thought of. I'm not condoning anything but merely stating my thoughts.  The governor of Florida this week asked, “How do we make sure that individuals with mental illness do not touch a gun?” If you have a mental health diagnosis, how does that statement make you feel?So, here's the thing. I have been diagnosed with depression and am currently taking medicine to control it. I, too, have a firearm owner's identification card. I used to go hunting with my husband. I don't hunt with him anymore because I didn't want to take the kids out of school and didn't want to try and find someone to get them to school while we were gone. That just wouldn't be right. Anyway, we rarely go out to do what I loved the most, shooting. I love target shooting. Does that mean I'm going to go out and shoot and kill people? No! I'm not insane. I may have a mental problem, but I'm not "mental."  Around 14 hours after this week's shooting, President Trump tweeted: "So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed..." How does this make you feel? Do you think it's too soon to comment on the perpetrator's mental health? If so, how long should they wait? Do you feel it's justified and a reasonable statement? If so, what would you say to those who feel stigmatized by it?I think the idea of what's "mentally disturbed" is different for different people. I don't know how much President Trump knows of mental disorders. I think the shooter definitely had a breakdown, but I think people rush to chalk it up to, "It's just another mental case." I'm sure that the shooter was probably in great need of mental help and had been for a long time. There are so many questions surrounding whether or not he was able to get the help, did he shun it, was it not offered at all, etc. There are many questions that need to be answered before it can be closed up as "mental."  How should public officials go about discussing mental health issues related to violent events? Are they doing a good job? Could they do better? If so, how?I'm not sure how to answer this question. I think that some officials discuss mental illness respectfully, but there are plenty out there who don't. Then you have others who pussyfoot around the topic like it's a bad word. I think that there's too many people who throw in their opinions whether or not they fully understand the situation at hand. So, I think some of them do a good job, but not all of them, that's for sure.  Do you personally believe that mental illness IS to blame for the majority of violent events? Can someone be a mass murderer WITHOUT being mentally ill? What is your opinion here?No, I don't think that mental illness is to blame for the majority of violent events. Yes, I think someone can be a mass murder without being mentally ill. Well, I guess I'm not sure how to answer that. I think there there can be something wrong with someone, chemically, but it's not anything that's diagnosed per say or even noticed prior to their killings.  Generally speaking, do you believe that events like this cause further discrimination against mental health issues, and if so, what could be the result of that discrimination?I think that it increases people's fear due to propaganda. Too many times people just want something or someone to blame and those with mental disorders seem to be the easiest to "hang" it on.   |
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ToTW 18th - 25th of February · 02-18-18 11:13pm 
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