Mental Health Issues OT?

[drhu22]

Its almost a week now since it happened and there seems to be little or no focus on the mental health issues that we can improve upon that caused that kid to go into that school.
I am 100% certain that if he had been emotionally and mentally stable, well adjusted that we wouldnt have this in the news, and guns would be much less of an issue.
As it is its 99% about guns,guns,guns.
(im mostly referring to mainstream media coverage, but also on these kinds of forums)

[trumpethead]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Its almost a week now since it happened and there seems to be little or no focus on the mental health issues that we can improve upon that caused that kid to go into that school.
I am 100% certain that if he had been emotionally and mentally stable, well adjusted that we wouldnt have this in the news, and guns would be much less of an issue.
As it is its 99% about guns,guns,guns.
(im mostly referring to mainstream media coverage, but also on these kinds of forums)

seriously?

[drhu22]

Originally Posted by trumpethead

seriously?

Seriously...
I know that its obvious, but my point is that there is little or no discussion of it, compared to the focus on gun control as the most important thing that has to be fixed.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Seriously...
I know that its obvious, but my point is that there is little or no discussion of it, compared to the focus on gun control as the most important thing that has to be fixed.

I think both issues can and should be addressed.

[trumpethead]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Its almost a week now since it happened and there seems to be little or no focus on the mental health issues that we can improve upon

So..lets hear it. What are the mental health issues that we can improve on??

[Dorkmaster]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Its almost a week now since it happened and there seems to be little or no focus on the mental health issues that we can improve upon that caused that kid to go into that school.
I am 100% certain that if he had been emotionally and mentally stable, well adjusted that we wouldnt have this in the news, and guns would be much less of an issue.
As it is its 99% about guns,guns,guns.
(im mostly referring to mainstream media coverage, but also on these kinds of forums)

Yes he had mental health issues and yes they should be looked at. The big issue though is how did someone with such terrible mental health get access to those weapons?

No matter what way we try to address this issue, small proportions of the populous will have access to guns, will have mental health issues. The goal is to try and minimize both so that we end up with less situations where people with mental health issues have access to guns.

[Azure]

The fact that it is being ignored while people like Piers Morgan beat the gun control drum isn't at all surprising.

Gun control is an easy thing to 'solve'...it seems. Mental illness is not. Most people will always opt for the easy solution.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Its almost a week now since it happened and there seems to be little or no focus on the mental health issues that we can improve upon that caused that kid to go into that school.
I am 100% certain that if he had been emotionally and mentally stable, well adjusted that we wouldnt have this in the news, and guns would be much less of an issue.
As it is its 99% about guns,guns,guns.
(im mostly referring to mainstream media coverage, but also on these kinds of forums)

I disagree. The police have stated this was a well planned and calculated shooting. The shooter went to great lengths to make sure the police would not discover his reasons by destroying his computer and the hard drive inside. This wasn't some emotional type shooting as he he knew exactly what he was doing.

[drhu22]

Originally Posted by trumpethead

So..lets hear it. What are the mental health issues that we can improve on??

Off the top of my head... better funding for social/mental health programs...especially in schools. Ive often thought that a big problem is the lack of a sense of community, and the feeling of isolation/alienation that i feel a lot of kids live with.

I didnt start this thread because i think i have all the answers, but to start a discussion.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Dion

I disagree. The police have stated this was a well planned and calculated shooting. The shooter went to great lengths to make sure the police would not discover his reasons by destroying his computer and the hard drive inside. This wasn't some emotional type shooting as he he knew exactly what he was doing.

Wrong. You're confusing impulsive with mental stability. One can be calculated and planned and still be extremely mentally unstable (as he likely was).

[SebC]

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/...-deaths/69354/

It is commonly assumed that mental illness or stress levels trigger gun violence. But that's not borne out at the state level. We found no statistical association between gun deaths and mental illness or stress levels.

[...]

Firearm deaths are significantly lower in states with stricter gun control legislation. Though the sample sizes are small, we find substantial negative correlations between firearm deaths and states that ban assault weapons (-.45), require trigger locks (-.42), and mandate safe storage requirements for guns (-.48).

[Nage Waza]

Not everyone with mental health issues is going to shoot up a bunch of people, the extent of their issues seem to come to light after the crime is committed. We still do not have thought police, so I am not sure what can be done.
In the mean time, we expect more issues like this going forward, so people are scrambling to minimize the severity when this happens next. Arming teachers, securing schools, etc are going to be more likely goals than identifying who is a 'potential murderer' as we move forward.

[trumpethead]

Originally Posted by Dion

I disagree. The police have stated this was a well planned and calculated shooting. The shooter went to great lengths to make sure the police would not discover his reasons by destroying his computer and the hard drive inside. This wasn't some emotional type shooting as he he knew exactly what he was doing.

Please tell me that you are not suggesting that a mentally stable person could commit this crime. Just because the killer destroyed his hard drive doesnt make him any less crazy.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Off the top of my head... better funding for social/mental health programs...especially in schools. Ive often thought that a big problem is the lack of a sense of community, and the feeling of isolation/alienation that i feel a lot of kids live with.

I didnt start this thread because i think i have all the answers, but to start a good discussion.

I also know parents that struggle with their kids because they don't know how to deal with it.

So more awareness programs, care services and resources that parents can access to help them work through the problems.

I know parents that have identified what the actual issue was with their child, and have found ways to work with it. The case I'm specifically familiar with is a form of autism. Parents took the effort to figure out what was wrong, educated themselves as to how they should handle it, and the kid has made enormous progress.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by trumpethead

Please tell me that you are not suggesting that a mentally stable person could commit this crime. Just because the killer destroyed his hard drive doesnt make him any less crazy.

IIRC, most shootings are committed by mentally stable people.

Of course, most people would think the Norway shooter is completely crazy, but I don't think he would be considered mentally unstable by our standards. If I remember correctly that is.

[drhu22]

Originally Posted by Azure

IIRC, most shootings are committed by mentally stable people.

Of course, most people would think the Norway shooter is completely crazy, but I don't think he would be considered mentally unstable by our standards. If I remember correctly that is.

Seriously???

[Azure]

Originally Posted by drhu22

Seriously???

One Norwegian psychiatric report found Breivik to be insane, while a second concluded that he was sane. A panel of judges is hearing weeks of testimony to decide which is correct.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-...oting-rampage/

The shooter is also claiming that he did it for political reasons, and strongly disagrees with being classified as mentally unstable.

Strange world we live in.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Wrong. You're confusing impulsive with mental stability. One can be calculated and planned and still be extremely mentally unstable (as he likely was).

Lanza had Aspergers Syndrome which is not a mental health disorder.

Joe McGinniss, the well-known author and the father of a son who has Asperger’s, is among the many who wrote to me.

“The suggestion that Asperger’s might be a clue to why this happened is offensive to me,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It’s misleading to suggest that quiet people who don’t pick up on social cues are more likely to become killers.”

Dr. Ami Klin, an expert on autism at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, said that any tie between the Newtown shootings and Asperger’s or autism “is an enormous disservice” to those whose lives are affected by these developmental disorders, which should not be confused with mental illness.

“Any human condition can coexist with violence,” he said, but no correlation should be drawn.

In fact, he said, those with Asperger’s “are much more likely to be victims rather than victimizers.”

http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.co...with-violence/

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by Dion

Lanza had Aspergers Syndrome which is not a mental health disorder.

Joe McGinniss, the well-known author and the father of a son who has Asperger’s, is among the many who wrote to me.

“The suggestion that Asperger’s might be a clue to why this happened is offensive to me,” he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It’s misleading to suggest that quiet people who don’t pick up on social cues are more likely to become killers.”

Dr. Ami Klin, an expert on autism at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, said that any tie between the Newtown shootings and Asperger’s or autism “is an enormous disservice” to those whose lives are affected by these developmental disorders, which should not be confused with mental illness.

“Any human condition can coexist with violence,” he said, but no correlation should be drawn.

In fact, he said, those with Asperger’s “are much more likely to be victims rather than victimizers.”

http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.co...with-violence/

He may have had Aspergers syndrome. The facts don't link to any mental disorder at this time. There hasn't been anyone coming forward saying that he was diagnosed. This is a problem right there. So many people have said that he may have had odd tendencies, was secluded etc. Yet this boy, so far as we know, never was seen by a mental health professional in his life. That's one of the main issues of why access to care in the USA needs to be addressed. We don't know anything about him because no one ever tried to help him.

I agree though with the comment that linking Aspergers to being more violent is ridiculous. It's trying to link causation with no association.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Azure

The fact that it is being ignored while people like Piers Morgan beat the gun control drum isn't at all surprising.

Gun control is an easy thing to 'solve'...it seems. Mental illness is not. Most people will always opt for the easy solution.

Aren't you the one always saying the US can't afford healthcare for their citizens?

Now you want mental health covered too?