‘Mental Health Sham’ in State

I applaud the truth in what you report in your editorial.

As a member of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Orange County, I have heard over and over again the frustrations of parents and relatives trying to get help for their mentally ill family member.

Often the family is being threatened by violent behavior or family life becomes so chaotic and stressful members cannot function normally. When this happens, whole families need help. It is often at this crisis point that our group is recommended and sought out for support and guidance. It is like living in a nightmare to have to choose between tolerating a mentally ill relative’s abnormal actions or forcing him to leave home when you are well aware he is not capable of taking care of himself and there is no doubt that he will be either taken advantage of, hurt himself because of the inability to make good judgments or get in trouble with the law.

The price we pay as untrained individuals trying to cope with an unbearable situation is high emotionally and financially.

Society and taxpayers are also paying a high price in the end because our state has not financed the mental health system enough so that adequate care can be given to those who so desperately need help. Patients who go untreated can deteriorate to the point that taxpayers are paying for their care in prisons instead of hospitals and clinics and the money is spent after a great deal of suffering by patients, relatives and friends.

Mental illness is a physical disease of the brain that can be controlled by medicine. More money should be budgeted for research to find a cure for these mental illnesses that put such a burden on our society and until such cures can be found, more facilities for care need to be established. Facilities for the totally helpless and for those patients who can almost function on their own, but still need guidance, training and supervision. Many patients can be educated so that they can contribute to their own care if given the proper environment.

If the state does not and the families can not give proper care for the mentally ill, we all lose.

JOAN SEITEL

Garden Grove