Admissions

Please look at these actual factual reasons people were committed to an asylum in the late nineteenth century.

I’m not even sure where to begin. First of all, how many of these are just being a woman who’s in her husband’s way? Female disease and woman trouble, ill treatment by husband (like, you know, being involuntarily committed), imaginary female trouble, hysteria. And of course rumor of husband murder. And maybe it’s my uterine derangement talking, but isn’t involuntary confinement what being committed to an asylum all about?

Plus there’s things beyond that that are totally objective. Politics, political excitement, religious enthusiasm, superstition, over action of the mind, and about a million other things that you can claim of anyone you don’t like. You better not study hard because if you do, bam, you’re getting committed. Don’t read any novels, either.

In truth, it’s actually a list of why some people were committed, i.e. their relatives said these were symptoms of their mental illness. Still though. People pretty much used anything as an excuse. Although shooting your daughter is a pretty good reason for being locked up.

When Getting Angry IS Appropriate

Yesterday I wrote about two experiences I had with anger, but I'd like to emphasize how needless the anger was. One was due to wounded pride, the other to frustration (I assume). Both acted inappropriately.

People, if you want something to get angry about, get angry about my friend Gavi's experience being run through bureaucracy. Her daughter needs help but the only way for her to get it is, because her family is middle class, being legally abandoned and deemed a ward of the state. As a good mother, Gavi is doing whatever it takes to stay with her daughter and get her the help she needs. The help the state is refusing to give her.

With all the talk about wasteful government spending, we have meetings where a "problem" is discussed between different agencies but no one steps up to offer a solution. Of course no one does. They don't want to be blamed if it fails or costs too much money.

Meanwhile, there is a family suffering.

Of course, with the elections over, politicians are a lot less motivated to help out, especially with mental illness. Do you know how many state representatives running for office this year had plans for mental health care? One.

It's time to stop waiting for the government to do something. It's time we start telling them to do it. In a few months when the new session starts, you can bet I'm going to start writing to my representatives. And I'll post information here if anyone else wants to do the same.

I'm open to suggestions for other ways to get the word out. As for my friends in other countries, what do you think about health care? A right? A privilege? I'd love your opinions and insights.

Okay, my rant on health care is over. For now. : p