Posted by iforgotmypassword on July 7, 2007, at 16:28:48
In reply to Isn't it right to prevent suicide attempts?, posted by Squiggles on July 7, 2007, at 14:07:41
i think it's a medical and financial neo-libertarian position that is currently dominant.
-if the person is seen as a personality disorder case, their behaviour is seen as their own fault and peril, not to spend other peoples' or the public's attention or resources on. if they die, they die, it doesn't have to do with you or anything you've done or haven't done, they are not your child. you can never tell when a perpetually suicidal person will finally do it, anymore than you can keep watch over the person every minute of your life or have them permanently institutionalized at the public's cost, and the cost of the person's "freedom". (i.e. voluntary public and professional incompetence and powerlessness)
-if the person is seen as normally liked as a decent, undemanding and responsible person, and is now dealing with "real" mental illness that could throw that all away, it's society's duty to forcibly rescue the person. ("it's cases like these that made me choose the psychiatric profession. real lives would just slip away without us.")
it's pretty sick, but i think that sums up mental health care today. the sickest people i ever met i met living in a shelter, not in hospital.
i'm sorry you are dealing with this. they've conditioned themselves not to care, with a near-jingoism and purposely vacuous statements and arguments to back themselves up. they've given up as professionals, and now they've forced you into a position where you have to, too. it's a vile conservatism, to as a society betray our weak.
poster:iforgotmypassword
thread:768286
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070630/msgs/768305.html