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Originally Posted by mykalberta
I feel bad for people with mental illnesses but imo that shouldnt give people a free pass on the justice system.
He cut a mans head off. I dont care what he is suffering from, HE CUT A MANS HEAD OFF.
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Psychotic episodes involve a great deal of misjudgement. Some manage well while being medicated and are generally not a threat to the public. John Nash is a big name you might be able to recognize.
This man was not in the right mind set. He did not know what he was doing. It would be like someone driving, and running over someone who teleported flat onto the ground immediately infront of the tires. His perception of everything is skewed.
Psychosis could involve a lot of factors. Some see things that are not existing. The most common is hearing voices. Whether these voices, allusions, or whatever you want to call them, talk to the individual is a different story. Some have conversations, while others appear to report that a conversation is going on and they only percieve a conversation by 2 or more other "people".
It distorts ones beliefs, ones ethics and morals. Its like a different world. Nothing is reality. Some report they are part of a "bigger plan", that aliens or god or someone is talking to them.
I know i've said this before, but i'm going to say its a curse. It's a curse. No one wants to experience psychosis. The interpersonal consequences for bearing a schizophrenic diagnosis is devastating. Their lives are generally horrible.
He did do something terrible, I will admit. He was lawfully proved to be "insane". Is that not enough? There is a reason insanity covers that the individual is not lawfully liable. Rehabilitation and constant supervision should be able to restore quite normative behaviour in this individual. If this is the case, why shouldn't he be able to live a somewhat sub-normal life?
FYI: For those that believe insanity is a good defense: The individuals that are deemed "insane" <- again, lawful term not medical- Generally have a much higher incarceration period by a lot. It is not a good defense to plead insanity if you are not insane.
There is no way that people that suffer from this kind of mental illness should suffer the way that people with perfect cognitive ability should. Also, the definition of insanity is only permissable is some cases.
This individual will have to deal with the consequences of his actions. He will be monitored for an indefinite period, if not permanently. The DSM has a wide variety of disorders, and the vast majority of these would not be permissably deemed reasons to be considered insane. Intense psychosis is, and it definitely should be.
EDIT: Please note, intensity of psychosis can vary a lot between individuals. I'm not one, so I can't tell you what the min and max are like. I would imagine the min would be hearing people talking and only on some occasions. The max (IMO) could probably be close to severly impaired auditory and visual "hallucinations"