I am sorry you have experienced this but I think your opinions are terrribly wrong here. I get that the other day was frustrating, and you think we should be more harsh with these folks. The problem is it’s their disease talking not them. It’s ok even to be frustrated at the inconvenience but the solutions lie far from let’s get rid of them all together. MAID is almost impossible for someone diagnosed with a severe mental illness, since by definition they can’t make that decision. So now you are letting someone else make it for them and that is a slippery, dangerous slope.
In the grand scheme of things a few people lost a few minutes of their time the other day while this was dealt with. Could’ve been a traffic accident, a chemical spill, you name it - we should all be so lucky that this was the worst thing that happened that day to us.
I'm not wrong. I know my entire family released a collective sigh of relief on both situations once they finally resolved in a way unpallitable to most (unless they've been there).
It's very possible - after years of failed attempts to solve impossible-to-solve problems - that once the misery and torture were finally over for both the departed and the rest of us who were continually dealing with non-stop bs for years on end that we were all better off. I'm grateful the people who were experiencing the unending torment are not tormented any longer.
I hope the help available for people suffering mental health issues gets better and better. My wife and I donate a not-insignificant amount of money monthly to The Calgary Mental Health Association and have done so for years now. I also recognize that there are instances where MAiD is far and away the best, most humane and most empathetic position for these people versus shaming them into living a tortured life.
I understand your perspective. I started there, too. I guarantee you have a limit to what you can and are willing to tolerate, though, and I definitely hit mine long ago. Now I'm like fk it. There are people that work at being as well as they can and that's why I donate...to support them. There are others who are determined to fk their own lives and cause as much disruption as possible in the process - fk those ones imo.
Honest question because I’ve thankfully never dealt with anything like the bridge guy, but why would you want to go onto a bridge if you aren’t in a good mental state? I would think that you might have a hard time leaving your bed.
Honest question because I’ve thankfully never dealt with anything like the bridge guy, but why would you want to go onto a bridge if you aren’t in a good mental state? I would think that you might have a hard time leaving your bed.
I'm no mental health expert but I think the answer to your question is very obvious. Likely to jump off.
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Originally Posted by Doctorfever
Honest question because I’ve thankfully never dealt with anything like the bridge guy, but why would you want to go onto a bridge if you aren’t in a good mental state? I would think that you might have a hard time leaving your bed.
Mental illness is not about making good choices. The end result, if not treated is death. These people are looking for a way out from the demons they're battling.
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Originally Posted by Sliver
Btw, I think some people cannot operate in this world and are not mentally equipped to ever live a life that is anything other than abject suffering and misery. We shame people who try to commit suicide and we shame people into living and suffering indefinitely even if we know there is no amount of mental help that can help some. I'd like to see this bridge guy have the option for maid so he can depart in a dignified way instead of drawing out his pain and inflicting more suffering on his family.
MAID should be the last option used. I'd like to see that bridge guy get the help he needs before anything else. Problem is getting and accessing that help. The heath system in Alberta when it comes to mental illness is sorely lacking with wait times of up to a year or more to see a psychiatrist. Want to see a psychologist? Better have deep pockets if you're not lucky to have a health plan that covers it. It's a joke as far as I'm concerned.
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Mental illness is not about making good choices. The end result, if not treated is death. These people are looking for a way out from the demons they're battling.
Could possibly be death****
Lots of people have mental health issues and don't end up dying because of it. That's a huge generalization.
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Originally Posted by Zary's-Mustache
Could possibly be death****
As for your first point. The profound depression that motivates most suicides is a disease. This disease causes a level of pain so profound that it twists one’s ability to assess risk, to make good choices, to maintain a sense of future possibilities. When people act out of this depression, they are not exercising free choice. They are falling victim to a disease. This disease is not about logic or self interest. It is about an immediate desire to be dead. That's a fact.
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Lots of people have mental health issues and don't end up dying because of it. That's a huge generalization.
What generalization? Countless numbers of people do get help with their mental health issues. I've never argued against that. The point I made is what happens if it's left untreated or said person can't get the help they need.
Look at it another way. Imagine living a life where you can't get help for your demons or you feel there is no hope. How long do you expect that person to keep on living their personal Hell?
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Not sure why you typed all that to my reply. You said untreated mental illness leads to death. That's simply not true. It COULD lead to death. Not all mentally ill people are suicidal.
Last edited by Zary's-Mustache; 03-31-2024 at 10:21 AM.
Heck, not all people dealing with untreated depression are suicidal. “Mental illness” is broad enough that I would say very few people struggling with mental health issues are suicidal.
It’s not some death sentence.
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Originally Posted by Zary's-Mustache
Not sure why you typed all that to my reply. You said untreated mental illness leads to death. That's simply not true. It COULD lead to death. Not all mentally ill people are suicidal.
Think of what untreated mental illness can lead to. Drug abuse, alcoholism, homelessness and other forms of behavior people use to cope. All those can lead to an early death.
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Effects of Mental Health on Physical Health
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Your mental health plays a huge role in your general well-being. Being in a good mental state can keep you healthy and help prevent serious health conditions. A study found that positive psychological well-being can reduce the risks of heart attacks and strokes.
On the other hand, poor mental health can lead to poor physical health or harmful behaviors.
Chronic diseases. Depression has been linked to many chronic illnesses. These illnesses include diabetes, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis.
Schizophrenia has also been linked to a higher risk of heart and respiratory diseases.
Mental health conditions can also make dealing with a chronic illness more difficult. The mortality rate from cancer and heart disease is higher among people with depression or other mental health conditions.
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That people living with mental illness have a reduced life expectancy
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That people living with mental illness have a reduced life expectancy compared with the general population has been extensively documented around the world (Chang et al. 2011; Walker et al. 2015; Plana-Ripoll et al. 2019). Research from Western Australia found that the gap in life expectancy for people with mental illness registered with West Australian mental health services compared with the general population in 2005 was 15.9 years for men and 12.0 years for women (Lawrence et al. 2013). This research also indicated that the mortality gap for people living with mental illness had increased from 1985, by 2.5 years for men and 1.6 years for women since 1985, with the increase largely driven by gains in life expectancy for the general population (Lawrence et al. 2013) . This finding aligns with studies from other high-income countries suggesting that the mortality gap for people with mental illness may be increasing over time, in part due to gains in life expectancy for the general population not experienced (or at least not experienced in equal measure) by those with mental illness and especially SMI (Neilsen et al 2013; Hayes et al 2017; Laursen et al 2019).
Rather than a direct result of mental illness or death by suicide, almost 80% of premature deaths of people with mental illness are due to potentially preventable physical health comorbidities (Lawrence et al. 2013). These include type 2 diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease (De Hert et al. 2009). Compared to the general population, people with SMI have a 2- to 3-fold risk of developing hypertension and metabolic syndrome and, if under the age of 50, a 3-fold risk of dying from coronary heart disease (De Hert et al. 2009; Osborn et al. 2007). If diagnosed with cancer, people living with SMI experience higher rates of mortality compared to the general population (Launders et al. 2022; Charlesworth et al. 2023).
Substance use and mental illness
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Use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs can trigger or worsen mental health issues and are strongly associated with physical health conditions including cancer, cirrhosis, and cardiovascular disease (AIHW 2022).
The relationship between mental illness and substance use is complex. A mental illness may make a person more likely to use drugs as an attempt to self-medicate symptoms associated with their mental illness. Conversely, substance use may be a contributing factor for the initial symptoms of mental illness. Certain substances may cause a substance-induced psychosis which can last for days or weeks after the end of intoxication. However, if someone has a pre-disposition to developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, the use of illicit drugs may bring on the first episode of what can be a longer-lasting psychotic illness (NDARC 2011). Critically, this does not mean that mental illness necessarily causes substance use and vice versa: common risk factors (such as trauma, personality traits, genetic influences and the childhood environment) may cause substance use and mental illness to independently develop in the same individual (UNODC 2022).
Among people living with mental illness, there are higher rates of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use compared with people without mental illness (refer to Figure PHYS.2).
Is it me or are the roads right now as bad as they have ever been around the city for potholes, cracks, etc? It's like shake, rattle, all over the city.
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Is it me or are the roads right now as bad as they have ever been around the city for potholes, cracks, etc? It's like shake, rattle, all over the city.
Definitely the worst ever. I've been meaning to post about it for a couple weeks but it seems like we are always complaining the roads. The pot holes right now as really deep too. I usually stay and drive in the same areas so I know where all the big holes are but I drove down to the deep south this weekend and that was a whole new experience. Deerfoot is awful and the ramp from east bound Glenmore on south bound Deerfoot is probably the second worst stretch of road in the city (the worst being West Campus Blvd between the Foothills Hospital and Children's Hospital.)
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