(May 3, 2013) After each such tragedy – whether it be the elementary school in Newtown…the Aurora shooting at the movie theatre, the shooting at the shopping center in Tucson…the Virginia Tech massacre, I hear people say – “now those parents knew their sons were ill…why didn’t they do something to prevent that tragedy?” You’d be surprised how many people don’t realize that once your child reaches age 18, parents can’t force them to take their meds or be treated.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are in this country an estimated 7.7 million people who suffer from the most severe mental illnesses – schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Among them, only a small fraction ever become violent, and then, usually when they fail to get treatment. Catching the problem early is crucial. Yet parents seeking help are often turned away, or lose control when their children turn 18.
State laws vary, but all states set strict controls regarding involuntary hospitalization, limiting it to circumstances when a person is an imminent danger to self or others, or likely to become so. These laws give people with severe mental illness the right to decide when, where, how, or even if they will receive care. Yet some serious mental illnesses make it difficult for those affected to assess their need for treatment. When patient rights exceed necessary protections, individuals with a severe untreated mental illness can die because we’ve protected their civil liberties to remain mentally ill and refuse treatment. Many do die. And, sometimes they harm others along the way. The general public also has rights…the right to be protected from the consequences of non-treatment.
I’m the mother of a son who suffered from severe and persistent bipolar disorder. Despite the extraordinary and loving efforts of his family, my son’s bipolar ruined his life; his downward course was aided by a completely ineffective legal system that continually protected his civil right to remain severely mentally ill.
Medication compliance is the key to living with bipolar disorder or any mental illness. My son was not medication compliant. I don’t know why he would stop taking his meds…he just did. I’m not even sure he knew why. He, at times, lacked insight and used poor judgment. When this happened, the map for his recovery was full of dead ends, and both he and his family suffered the consequences. Click here to continue reading this poignant commentary by -
Dottie Pacharis
Author of Mind on the Run: A Bipolar Chronicle
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