“At the end of the day, I want Virginia to come up with a model for treatment of mental illness,” Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath.

By now many of you have heard the tragic story of Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, who last fall was stabbed by his son, that same son who then took his own life. Gus Deeds, 24, had been released 13 hours earlier from an emergency custody order after local mental health workers failed to find a hospital psychiatric bed before the involuntary detention order expired.

In a statement to newsadvance.com, “His tragedy really gives voice to all of the families we hear from,” said John Snook, deputy director for governmental affairs at the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national organization based in Arlington.

“Those are families that struggle repeatedly to get help for people they love who are deteriorating in front of them — refusing to bathe and hearing voices. They say, ‘I know what is going to happen, but no one will listen,'” Snook said.

As a psychiatrist here in New York City, I see this same situation. I have met many family members throughout my career who have struggled with the same situation. Where do you go when you need mental health support for a loved one? Who will help the mentally ill if they don’t want to (or can’t) help themselves?

It’s evident that not just the state of Virginia has a fragmented and failing mental health system. Just one example is the clarion call from parents, victims and survivors of mass shootings across this country to make mental health a priority. Something I agree we desperately need to do. Let’s hope that the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century will be a leader in finding solutions that other states across the nation can model.

In the meantime, it is important that you let your elected officials know that you too want to see mental health changes in your state. The last thing we want to be doing is cutting services!

Here are some other things you can do if you’re worried about your loved one:

• Seek out resources – doctors, support groups, mental health clinics, mental health hotlines, etc. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great resource in helping to support families and educate them on mental illness.
• If your loved one has a diagnosis – educate yourself about their illness.
• If you already have a treatment team in place, work close with them.
• Make sure to take care of yourself. Find a support group or friends to talk to.
• Click here to read more on the mental health panel in Virginia that began work this week.

#drpaul #drhenrypaul #henrypaulmd #whenkidsneedmeds #mentalhealthteens

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.