Do you remember when if a family member was having mental health, alcohol, or drug issues the family would immediately go to a judge and the judge would order them into treatment BEFORE they deteriorated to the point of:
1. Going out and shooting others.
2. Losing their jobs and putting themselves and their families into a life of hell and public assistance.
3. Kill someone or ruin someones life while getting that dui.
4. Being so F'd up they commit crimes and end up in our criminal system or prison costing us tens if not hundreds of thousands.
5. And the list goes on!
I realize I'm old, but I do remember when the law and judges sided on the side that the rights and well being of you and your family superseded your right to destroy yourself and everyone around you. One thing about being older is you got to see the successes when you were younger of families intervening in their loved one's lives at the earliest stages of their problems and saving themselves and their loved ones. I work in this system today and have had people dear to me fall into those areas. Today, according the law and judges, people have the right to totally ruin their life and the lives of all those around them not to mention the innocent people that they may kill when drunk or whatever. Until they actually commit those crimes you can't do a damn thing about it. If we really want to address addiction and/or mental illness in the most effective and efficient way we need to head it off at the earliest possible moment. Not after the person has deteriorated to the point of the treatment being a prison or jail sentence. All that does is create unemployable people with criminal records. When a wheel on something starts squeaking you can oil it right away and fix the problem in a very cost effective manner, or you can let it go til it falls off. Mental illness and addiction are no different.
1. Going out and shooting others.
2. Losing their jobs and putting themselves and their families into a life of hell and public assistance.
3. Kill someone or ruin someones life while getting that dui.
4. Being so F'd up they commit crimes and end up in our criminal system or prison costing us tens if not hundreds of thousands.
5. And the list goes on!
I realize I'm old, but I do remember when the law and judges sided on the side that the rights and well being of you and your family superseded your right to destroy yourself and everyone around you. One thing about being older is you got to see the successes when you were younger of families intervening in their loved one's lives at the earliest stages of their problems and saving themselves and their loved ones. I work in this system today and have had people dear to me fall into those areas. Today, according the law and judges, people have the right to totally ruin their life and the lives of all those around them not to mention the innocent people that they may kill when drunk or whatever. Until they actually commit those crimes you can't do a damn thing about it. If we really want to address addiction and/or mental illness in the most effective and efficient way we need to head it off at the earliest possible moment. Not after the person has deteriorated to the point of the treatment being a prison or jail sentence. All that does is create unemployable people with criminal records. When a wheel on something starts squeaking you can oil it right away and fix the problem in a very cost effective manner, or you can let it go til it falls off. Mental illness and addiction are no different.
