Friday, December 14, 2012

Not The Same

Tragedies like what happened today in Connecticut really make me question our treatment of the mentally ill in this country. Compared to this man, I am only mildly ill. I also don't have the compulsion to hurt others, even in my darkest hours. What I do know is that I have had instances where I have seriously considered hurting myself. In September I was at a point where I signed a contract with my therapist stating that I wouldn't hurt myself. We came up with a list of things that I would do in an effort to keep myself from doing any harm. I was also referred to the local psychiatric service to get some pharmaceutical help.

As of today, I am still on the waiting list at not one, but two, local help centers. If I needed meds for a physical illness I could most likely get them within 24 hours, but to get meds for mental illness I have to wait months. We don't let diabetics wait for life saving insulin, so why does someone with bipolar disorder or depression have to wait months for their life saving medications? Something is very wrong with that. Seriously, if cancer patients suddenly had to be put on a list and wait for who knows how long to start chemo, someone would raise a stink and do something about it.

There is more I want to say about this subject, including how going to an ER isn't much better than being on a waiting list for outpatient treatment, but my brain has lost focus, and I can no longer compose my thoughts into something comprehensible.

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