I liked the movie too but unfortunately, things are worse today. Psychiatric hospitals can be humane places and when people who do need them, they should be available to get them.

We have substituted prisons for hospitals when it comes to many people with schizophrenia. The psychiatrist who wrote the preface to my book said that the mentally ill in many western countries are not faring as well as they did in the 1960s and 1970s despite our advances in knowledge and treatment.

The largest psychiatric facility in the US is Riker's Island, a jail in NYC. Over 1 million people with mental illnesses in the US are in jail. Similar stats for Canada and Australia.

This is all outlined in my book.

Oh I always think of One Flew Over the Cukoos Nest when people mention mental illness. I really hope institutions are not that bad still =/

The majority of states authorize involuntary treatment and coerced outpatient care. For example, one may receive a court-order requiring him or her to comply with a specified treatment as a condition for release from the psychiatric hospital. It can be a slippery slope and unconstitutional (see the 1st, 8th, and 14th amendments) to treat people who refuse.

However, I believe schizophrenics have a deficit in self-analysis and therefore, unknowingly need treatment. I'm not aware of how other countries have managed to provide treatment to patients who refuse in ways that differ from the the United States. I suppose I have to read your book!

I agree with you that many people have a greater understanding of mental illness today than they used to. I was involved in a program called Talking About Mental Illness where professionals, family members and those with an illness spoke to high school kids. I did a before and after assessment of their attitudes and the report is on my website. I was quite encouraged by the attitudes of the kids.

The problem has been deinstitutionalization and the lack of appropriate community supports to replace hospital beds. The result is that people were discharged from hospital and ended up on the streets homeless or in jail. In that sense, people with serious illnesses are worse off today.

Added to that is the fact that we allow people who are not well enough to make treatment decisions to refuse treatment. We could ensure their dignity and still provide needed treatment as other countries have managed to do.

I take issue with the following part of your statement: how we treat people with mental illness is getting worse...

Although I agree the stigma attached to mental illness should be reduced if not eliminated, I certainly think the public is increasingly sympathetic to mental health issues. I do work in neuroscience/psychology research so I may just be hanging out with the ideal crowd in this respect.

Your book seems quite interesting. A friend recently confided in me that his spouse has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder. It resembles schizophrenia and is often misdiagnosed as such. I suggested to my friend that he write a book. The unique perspective a family member has when it comes to mental illness is of great benefit to clinicians and certainly others with afflicted loved ones. I'm sure your book has a lot of insight, and I'm excited to check it out. :c)

I am very excited to read it; as you mentioned, reading how other countries/nations work with people with severe mentally ill diagnoses can only give me fresh ideas. Thanks

Hope you find the book interesting

Thanks, Marvin, I have ordered your book. Other books that I have read that help reduce stigma and most consumers would enjoy versus the technical books for those in the field: Lincoln's Melancholy by Shenk; of course, Wally Lamb's books two different ones (She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True) address therapy as a significant part of the novel; The Noonday Demon: an Atlas of Depression by Solomon are just a few.

We really need to look at how other countries have dealt with these issues. I have some stuff on that in my book, Schizophrenia Medicine's Mystery Society's Shame on European countries. In the Netherlands, no one is discharged from a psychiatric hospital without there being resources for them. In Norway, there are no homeless. If someone is homeless and mentally ill they are assigned a support team to help them with their problems.

I just watched a quality news report on PBS--Frontline on Mental Ill and their interfacing with the Court systems, primarily now called Mental Health Courts in various areas. The report identifies that de-instutionalizing that occurred in the 1970's has led many to be cared for through the criminal system. I am a therapist, and work in the system--the report is sad but true. Also, I have enjoyed the comments regarding stigma and mental health, it is higher for mental illness than even drug and alcohol addiction (thankfully the 12 Step movement has reduced some of the stigma from that field). I also have done years of counseling on my own issues and have taken psychotropic medication at times. Thanks for all the comments already made--they give me hope that people are noticing the tremendous injustice that is occurring with the poor in our country and especially the poor who suffer from a mental illness.

Marvin wrote: "Wally Lamb's book is fantastic. I agree. And, yes my book is available on Amazon if you want to read it. It is not a novel but rather a review of how badly we deal with this illness as a society."

Great! I'll let you know what I think:-)

Wally Lamb's book is fantastic. I agree. And, yes my book is available on Amazon if you want to read it. It is not a novel but rather a review of how badly we deal with this illness as a society.

Joe wrote: "
Good luck Marvin. Help me,us remove Rush Limbaugh from the air waves cause I think he is mentally ill and harmful to America. Thanks joe"

Joe, that was a really funny comment.
Marvin, should I try Amazon for your book? I also think Wally Lamb's book I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE gives mental illness a human face and is worth reading. I think oft-times we can only deal with such messiness if its connected to say brilliance or something but the truth of the matter is that there is more to value than a person's intellect. Even if someone with bi-polar isn't brilliant we have to learn how to truly respect differences inherent and experienced

Good luck Marvin. Help me,us remove Rush Limbaugh from the air waves cause I think he is mentally ill and harmful to America. Thanks joe

Marvin wrote: "I noticed that there is no discussion of this topic and how we treat people with mental illness is getting worse and needs to be improved. People need more information about recognizing the issue a..."

I have no shame anymore, I'm mentally deppressed and have social anxiety. I no longer go to a regular school because of my social anxiety, I'm homebound and I SEE A PSYCHOLOGIST!!! I'll admit it.

Hey, great topic!

One thing thats always annoyed me about mental illness is the stigma attached to it. People will admit to going to a doctor, but never a psychologist/psychiatrist/psychotherapist! Theres no shame in having mental problems!

I was being a bit too obtuse in my post (modesty maybe) as I was really intending to bring to people's attention my own book on schizophrenia called Schizophrenia - Medicine's Mystery - Society's Shame which deals with causes, stigma, treatment and others issues associated with this condition. The book is recommended by the World Fellowship for Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders and received an excellent review in the current issue of the magazine Schizophrenia DigestSchizophrenia: Medicine's Mystery - Society's Shame

I'm not really sure where you're going with this post, but I agree that the treatment of people with mental illness is an important social justice issue. One book I read recently was a short (less than 50 pages) reader by the Icarus Project called "Navigating the Space Between Brillance and Madness: A Reader and Roadmap of Bipolar Worlds. It's by people with bipolar who are exploring how to resist a mad culture while still existing healthily within it.

I noticed that there is no discussion of this topic and how we treat people with mental illness is getting worse and needs to be improved. People need more information about recognizing the issue and getting people treated much earlier. I'm sure that many in this group know people with serious mental illness