The State of the Mental Health System

[IChoseTheRedPill]

I was originally diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder but that diagnosis was eventually changed to bipolar years later during another trip to the hospital... Both my wife and I had great insurance so I was in a much better place than others... Fast forward... I'm scheduled for peer advocate training next year where I'll either work one on one, in group sessions or help centers... I'm active/involved at/in the local mental health clinic in my community going on three years now... There are schizophrenics, schizoaffectives, bipolars, depressives, people with anxiety and others with all types of personality disorders... Who are the most needy? Who consumes the majority of the resources? Those with anxiety and personality disorders... I kid You not... I'm not trying to completely trivialize anxiety or personality disorders but when a schizophrenic woman who was throwing glass bottles in the street because her house burnt down gets locked up instead of given help one has to ask themselves, "Self... What the hell is going on here?" When 40% or more of prison inmates have a serious mental illnesses and remain imprisoned for decades sometimes while being exploited by other inmates, one should ask, "What is happening here?" I am not making this up... When it comes to the mental health system, our priorities are more times then not misguided... Most of the money seems to be wasted on the soft and gushy... The "Ohh my God!!! I have to get out of here!!! I'm being triggered!!!" Bitch who has dated six of the other clients in less than two months while Gary sits in his seat talking to himself... It's that bad and much worse... There are over 40,000 Vets on the street, the majority of whom suffer some form of mental illness... They claim a Vet takes their own life every 65 minutes... They served our country, as misguided as these wars were but we're not there for them... We hear patriot this and patriot that!!! yet our own live alone on the streets or take their own life every hour... Again, I'm not trying to trivialize anxiety and personality disorders but it pales in comparison to more serious mental health issues many others deal with... The system needs to change... There is no other way... We need re-prioritize where the resources go because way too many people are literally on the streets, in prison or will die...