Now, THAT was funny…
Anyways, I go away for a few days and there’s Cranberry! Pop in once and a while, will ya?
Robin
Sages other than Dale recommended caution and perhaps still do. 
Yes, and No, Jim. What is available varies from state to state. In addition, the type of care available to those with little or no income, is often not apropriate for their condition (due to lack of funds for “second opinions” and diagnostic testing), not provided frequently enough (therapy sessions once a month for people who are seriously ill?!!?), nor is this “Care” provided in a timely fashion - often it doesn’t matter how sick a person is, unless they say they will kill themselves in the next 24 hours, they will often have to wait 4-8 weeks for an appointment to see a doctor/therapist and have the opportunity to get medication. There are many people out there who, while not suicidal this minute, urgently need help - certainly quicker than a month or two - and for these people the reality often is that there is no help available when it’s needed.
I can certainly understand that your experiences Jim, and those of others you know, may have been different, but I believe your blanket statement oversimplifies and gives an inaccurate idea of what the reality is in many parts of the country.
I have no interest in debating this subject, simply adding another viewpoint, for the record.
Loren
Maybe so, Loren. As you say, it conflicts drastically
with my experience. I do believe that people
who put some energy into problem solving
can generally get what they need.
Psychosis and neurosis are two dramatically different things, Jim. Somebody in the midst of a psychotic breakdown does not have a ‘problem’ in the sense that most of us have problems and might well lack the energy to do anything much that is constructive. For such a person, self help might simply be impossible and most forms of therapy hopelessly inadequate.
I am puzzled by the tendency of well-meaning people in our community to not want to acknowledge this; it is however just what I would expect from the bean counters. The view that we are all in control of our own destiny seems to be fixed ideology in some quarters. In other quarters, the view seems rather to be that no condition could be so bad that fixing it requires more than love and positive energy. How simple it would all be if either of these views were true.
You write: ‘Psychosis and neurosis are two dramatically
different things, etc.’
Been there; done that.
You might, if you haven’t done so,
want to read some earlier threads that
dealt with some of these issues, which expressed
concerns about
the ramifications of threads like these, and which Dale
asked us to stop. Maybe some reading between the lines
would help. I’m out of this one. Best
Well Jim if you can misinterpret me this badly I’d better set the record straight. My post was a reaction to general points you made in response to Loren about mental health care. Dale rightly cautioned against our discussing the mental health of a particular member of our community. On that thread I myself had earlier expressed the view that this kind of discussion is distasteful. It is therefore wildly improbable that I intended my carefully chosen general remarks here to be about one or another member of our community. So let me make myself clear: that was not how I intended my remarks to be taken.
I take it that mental health can still be discussed here in general terms; I took myself to be entering a conversation in which precisely this was being done. I haven’t the faintest idea how my remarks could have been taken differently.
They weren’t. Sorry if i’m being confusing. If you want
to talk further, let’s do it PM. Thanks, Jim
Sure Jim. Thanks for that. I think I now know what you were hinting at. I’ll send you a PM just to make sure. I don’t think there’s now any need to clear the air anyway, publicly or privately.