People with mental illness scapegoated for nation's gun violence

[malibustacy]

Every time there's a mass shooting people across the political spectrum call for better mental health care. The Bazelon Center explains why this is wrong. I have sharing this link all over the place. 

 

I keep explaining to people that we need better mental health care because we have millions of people who need treatment, period. I also explain how few people with mental illness are violent, and that continually linking the two subjects perpetuates ignorance and stigma. Who wants to think they have a mental illness when many people associate those words with some horrific public shooting? 

 

I also get tired of the jokes about how the "real" mentally ill are either gun rights advocates or gun control advocates. It's one thing to call people you strongly disagree with "crazy" and another to talk about clinically definable illnesses that way. Basically it's just another way of making those with mental illness "bad." 

 

I'm not raising this issue to set off a debate about the gun issues, but to address the way gun violence is being linked to mental illness in a way that makes our already terrible stigmas and ignorance worse. 

 

[San]

I hate how the mentally ill get nailed everytime there's a violent crime. People assume violent=mentally ill.

It's untrue. There are many studies that say mentally ill are more likely to be victims of violent crime than to commit it.

 

If i read one more article with comments going "We need better mental health care for people like that!" (we do need better mental health care worldwide, but the MI aren't generally the ones running around with guns) "Lock them in a nuthouse and throw away the key!", "They've gotta be nuts!" etc, I'm going to puke.

 

In Canada, we have very little gun crime. Not much violent crime. But the MI still get blamed. Yes, a rare few have committed violent crimes. This topic makes me rage. 

 

Thank you for posting this.

[Stickler]

 (we do need better mental health care worldwide, but the MI aren't generally the ones running around with guns) 

Exactly.

[ananke]

MI individuals are such easy targets for abuse and prejudice because there is so little public understanding, especially the more stigmatised MI's like schizophrenia and bipolar. it shifts the blame onto the individual for 'not seeking treatment' or 'not taking their meds' rather than social circumstances (i've said this before on here but i'm pretty angry about this)

[bobhope74]

"how few pplw/ mental illness are violent and that continually linking the two subjects perpetuates ignorance and stigma"

exactly

thanks for posting this, these politicians seem to still be in the mentality encouraged by movies in the nintys like fatal attraction single white female relentless exc exc that were constantly useing negative stereotypes about mental illness to make money

(i currently dont even own a tv but wouldnt be surprise if hollywoods still doing that)

the polyticians seem to just echo what they think the general public thinks,unconcerned w/ the actual studys and statistics

[WinterRosie]

My favourite fact is that we're much more likely to be victims than perpetrators.

Unfortunately where I live the police have yet to wise up to that fact and being shot to death while being symptomatic is a regular occurrence around here.

[bobhope74]

oh yeah i definatly agree indeviduals w/ MI are an easy target,and way to just quickly explain it as a lone nut and distract from social curcumstances,when it seems to me at least, thiers clearly some kind of pattern esp w/ what seems like bullying and sub-cultures reflecting how sadistic our culture has become in general

[bobhope74]

yes more likly to be shot by cops not properly trained about MI

and ive personally been assaulted by incompetent police when i was delusional and commited no crime b4 i was diagnosed have personally seen the cops assault ppl who were clerely delusional and really posed no threat to them and heard plenty of firste hand accounts of police brutal;ity

[melissaw72]

This is a great article and gives me some hope that someone out there has their head on straight. 

 

Thanks for posting it!

[Chimako]

I think a lot of people forget, if they ever knew, that some shooters aren't crazy at all.  They're just mean bastards who are (maybe) suicidal.  Example is the racist jackass who tried to kill Jews but failed because he's stupid.  He's not MI, he's just a racist jackass who is a mean bastard.  If someone wants to kill a lot of people, yeah, they're thinking the wrong way completely but that doesn't make them MI. 

 

I think people want to have a reason other than "mean bastard".  

[melissaw72]

 

I think people want to have a reason other than "mean bastard".

 

And now that there has been so much shit happening with guns/violence and the connection with MI, it is probably the first thing they look at with people.