WASHINGTON - A congressional bill that would broadly expand mental health services across the country is getting some high-wattage Hollywood backing.
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actress, Glenn Close is joining hands with Senate sponsors of the "Excellence in Mental Health Act."
Close explains that her family has been touched by mental illness.
"My sister came up to me, about four years ago, and said 'I need your help, I can't stop help thinking about killing myself'," Close says. Her sister was diagnosed bipolar at the age of 50.
"Mental illness is a family affair," Close adds.
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9 comments:
I am not so sure asking the government to intercede is such a good idea.
Those that do not fit societies "norm" are often shunned and left to fend for themselves at a time they are most vulnerable.
It's usually not a family affair and those that need help are left to navigate a terrible system when they are most vulnerable.
They get caught in a medical, state and federal web of poor care and roadblocks. Parents have often had the same outcome.
The VA is a prime example of failure. So how is the government supposed to fix this problem, for years we have complained about the VA. Why is it the governments problem to solve.
Unless a family steps up to the plate and aids the ailing family member I do not see much changing.
Everyone thinks it's someone else s problem to solve. Its your family member.
I abandoned my manic depressive wife 12 years ago when I was pretty sure that one of our family of four would wind up dead by now, Annie. Thank GOD the courts finally defined her as the culprit in 8 years of domestic calls. I took the house, kids, and vehicles in the divorce, and have experienced peace since then.
There was never enough treatment available, but what was there just offered psychotic drugs to mix with Zimas for some 3 day binges when I was told I "had to sleep sometime!". Lorena Bobbitt was her hero.
There's no cure for this crap except for permanent incarceration(which she loved), or execution.
Sorry, but facts are facts. I lived them, and luckily survived.
Anything Hollywood backs I'm against. I don't know the first thing about this bill but, if a leftist liberal from Hollywood is in favor of it then I'm against it.
9:06
I understand, and that's part of the problem. Poor Care. There probably is a more manageable cure, other than loading them up with drugs that don't work. But until we start researching the issue, we will never know and simply continue down this unmanageable route.
I do not disagree that when you married, this was not what you signed up for. But she also had her family, and they could have stepped up and assisted.
Problem is, regular people do not know how to get help for our ailing loved ones. It is an awful web of incompetent doctors (and social workers), simply taking $$, dispensing drugs, solving nothing and not caring.
But I still do not know how this is the governments issue to resolve. You can not mandate competent care when you don't have competent doctors. I know someone, simply depressed, who was over medicated into attempted suicide, because despite their protests that the meds were making it worse, the doctor simply kept loading them up with more, instead of clearly evaluating the situation. We all could see it, but no one would listen, because this doctor knew best...
Ginn - And with the money she's got, she has access to some of the top doctors, such as Dr Daniel Amen, MD.
I have no sympathy for whiny rich hollywoods.
Most doctors do not stress enough (if at all) that the drugs are to be used along with therapy and counseling. Alcohol exacerbates mental problems which in themselves are "over diagnosed." The latest diagnosis du jour is "bi polar." It's the easy and politically correct way of saying someone needs to learn how to control themselves.
Years ago when kids acted up they were meaningfully punished. Now these goofy parents give the kids "a time out." Poor kid is sitting there with pent up anger and frustrations and then the imbecile parents wonder why their kid is out of control.
From what I'm reading here...cross section of society... this is EXACTLY why someone who is depressed (or worse) will not go for help. THE LABELING. Yeah docs label you...they have to for insurance purposes... but society if far crueler. To the guy with the wife problem... I'm glad you got out but did you ever reach out and try to get her well before you left? If you did... I salute you. My child committed suicide because of the labels. There was a man (32) year old writer that was famous who took his own life this week. THIS IS AN ILLNESS PEOPLE. It is robbing us of our loved ones. Have you noticed that more and more children are being born with serious mental illnesses. They are NOT diagnosed with mental problems.. they HAVE mental problems. Something we are doing as a society is bringing it on worse with every passing year. The further we have come from Adam and Eve the sloppier the gene pool is getting. God help us all
Sue
Pesticides, GMOs, Chemicals, Preservatives, Fluoride in the water, Vaccines, Fake Foods, Corn Syrup, Fake Trans Fats, Red Dyes, etc. The list can go on.
Try eating food, real food, off the tree food, not in a box food.
5:36
Good strong point.
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