Automatic Response to Mental Illness
Punishment over Treatment: A Perpetual Cycle
He received an eviction notice.
Just thirty days to find another place to live.
I caught him walking up to his apartment with a 12-pack of Milwaukee’s Best. That was my great grandfather’s favorite beer. When I stopped to speak with him, I noticed his beaded bracelets creating rainbows along his arms. I smiled at his bright teal nail polish glittering in the light. He had an necklace reminiscent of an eagle from the Native American culture and handmade wooden earrings decorating each ear. His thin, balding hair was painted blue and purple. And two of his bottom teeth were missing.
I was taking in the story he so openly wore on his sleeves. But it wasn’t long before this sunshine turned grey. Suddenly, tears were rolling down his face.
_ _ _
The stigmas of mental health have invaded deep into the psyche, defaulting responses of impatience, irresponsibility, and punishment.
Their condition not my problem; It’s their’s, it’s the doctor’s, it’s the social worker’s. They don’t want help so that’s on them. They never listen. They never follow through. They didn’t pay on time. They didn’t show up to therapy. We have to call the police. We have to evict them.
Or… we could just listen.
_ _ _
I had never met this resident before, but he had no hesitancy to tell me how ashamed he was. Of what? I had little knowledge. But my inner empath worked overtime to prevent my tears.
I heard of his condition through the social worker that helps the facility. He’s 64. He lost his partner a few years ago. He has a history of substance abuse. Though he quit using heroine, he is now addicted to alcohol. He is sweet, but unreliable. He is sad, but too much to deal with. He is misunderstood, but overdue of deserving patience. Or so I was told. And now he was being evicted.
My very first question was, how long have we known of his condition?
Years. Years!
I couldn’t believe it. Unfortunately, this is not an unusual story to me. I have loved ones close to me with a history of substance abuse and serious mental illness. When I was younger, I used to see them through an over simplified lens: people hurt other people because they’re hurting too. But as I’ve grown up, that perspective has shifted into a more holistic understanding: broken systems break people through a perpetual cycle of punishment.
It’s more than hurt. It’s hopelessness.
_ _ _
I woke up this morning and checked one of my favorite independent journals: The Intercept. Today, they came out with the story HOW THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FAILS PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. The story essentially explains a mother who, after shifts in behavior, suspected something seriously wrong with her son. When she called and asked him to move back home, he never showed up. As time went by, she filed a missing persons report. And by the time her son was found he was in jail. He is a diagnosed schizophrenic.
A lot of thoughts rolled through my mind as I read this piece. One in particular was how easy it is to dismiss someone’s mental health because they are portrayed as a threat to society. I remembered how many times I tried trusting my loved ones with a mental illness, only to be reassured that the outcome would always end the same. When I took it personal, they became toxic and unworthy of my love.
But when I finally understood it had nothing to do with me, I saw how necessary it is to be patient.
Then I thought about the resident. I remembered giving him my card, out of impulse, after he repeatedly stated, “I can’t do this anymore.” It’s crazy how my mind flashed back to so many horrible memories in a matter of seconds. All I could get myself to utter was, “I’ll be back on Monday.”
What I wanted to say was please stay with me till Monday.
This article reminded me of the reason why I decided to take matters into my own hands in the first place. Not only did the situation become personal to me on an experiential level, but it triggered my foresight.
Here’s how it works:
An individual lives with a long history of ignored and untreated substance abuse. He/She has many run-ins with the police. Some go to jail or prison. Some get lucky. Some get treatment and begin to recover. After the first year, the majority relapse. They lose family. They lose friends. They lose their home. They end up on the streets. Their drug use deepens. Society continues to castes them away.
Here is how Jordan Smith, author of the article, explains it. “For people dealing with mental illness… They can’t comply with rules because they’re dealing with an illness that needs treatment, but they can’t get the medical treatment they need to comply with the rules.”
That is exactly what I am watching unfold.
Now I have the same question the woman with a schizophrenic son is trying to understand: “Why didn’t anyone in the system understand that [the individual] was ill and needed help?”
_ _ _
I must admit I was upset. I didn’t even plan on writing today but something compelled me to tell a story that resonates with far too many people.
*This is not my responsibility* I thought.
But then I remembered: that is literally the automatic response to mental illness.
And a lot of other systemic issues for that matter.
_ _ _
*The individual in this story is now getting the help he needs. For anybody else struggling with mental health, please reach out to your nearest hotline. You’re. not alone. See MO Department of Mental Health.
