There is still a stigma about admitting you are mentally ill.
I imagine that will change when we have tens of thousands of Iraq veterans who desperately need mental health services.
It is a horrible reason, but the very faint silver lining is that maybe for the rest of us, it will be more acceptable to say we are mentally ill.
My daughter worked on the [anti] Stigma campaign in Massachusetts. I am optimistic that for her generation there will be greater acceptance of people who are in need of help.
With reduced government funding for returning Iraq veterans, there will be thousands of hurting people who will be abandoned and alone. I hope they have families, ministers and priests, and communities that take pity on them, for the government that sent them to war surely does not.
Already there are stories about returning vets who have been refused evaulations or services even though they are very sick. Worse, some people who are severely ill are being sent BACK to Iraq in spite of their desperate circumstances.
What kind of country is this?
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3 comments:
good morning egregious !
well lookee there, little ol hillbilly gal got herself a blog, and is posting about important issues awready !
all snark aside darlin', one of the things I was so hopeful about the Gore presidency, was what Tipper (say what y'all will) would have done on the issue of de-stigmatizing mental health issues.
and boy do we need it - we'd have to progress a ton just to be called 'backward' in our outlook.
as for the neglect and treatment of those serving in our military, can already feel my bp rising - wouldn't even know where to start -have been writing to the likes of Carl Levin (Senate Armed Services) and Bob Kerrey (PTSD Vet)for over two years, begging them to please at least address the problem -
wish you strength, stamina, and success in raising awareness through this site and will check back soon.
xxooxx,
cbl
Apparently it's the kind of country where our government talks about supporting the troops and then grinds them up. Kind of like it's always been, especially with the GOP in power. If you're pro-war, conservatives will let you do whatever you want to the troops. It's for a good cause after all.
But be against the war, you traitor, and, well, ever heard of Gitmo?
Speaking from February 2007:
This is the concept that got me into serious blogging. My oldest daughter suggested I blog on the topic of mental illness since I felt so strongly about it. The lack of treatment for returning vets was the specific idea she and I were discussing at the time. Took me several months to get my courage up to post something substantial. Historians of the blogs, wonder no longer. Now you know why egregious blogs.
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