Due to Leeland Eisenberg's hostage crisis, mental health will get the spotlight

[Gman]

along with the other health care problems in this country. Although I don't at all agree with how he has done it, Eisenberg has brought, and will bring more attention to the utter ignoring of mental health care in this country. Apparently Eisenberg staged this hostage crisis with road flares taped to his body because he his self has mental problems, he knows he has mental problems, is sane enough to know he needs help but he wasn't able to get the help he needs. Now I don't know how rational the choice was, but he chose to stage the hostage crisis out of sheer frustration probably exacerbated by his mental health. If there is some good to come from this it should be a concerted attempt to address the mental health of all Americans.

[Truth2Tell]

1. will get the spotlight... for about 2 seconds

sadly.

[tridim]

2. Exactly, just like the Virginia Tech shootings.

[spoony]

3. Yep, then gone till the next time

When they'll again say, "why does this keep happening?" Sigh.

[goodgd_yall]

8. Yup

[acmavm]

4. If his point was to show the lack of care for poor mentally ill people, rest

assured the message will be lost on a populace that's only concerned with what over-priced gifts they hope to score in 25 days.

[stillcool]

5. Job Loss and Alcoholism..

is all I've heard so far...cause and effect I'm guessing.

[seemslikeadream]

6. AND Sexual Abuse

http://www.alternet.org/wire/69414

Leeland Eisenberg, Alleged Hillary Hostage Suspect, Victim Of Priest Sexual Abuse?

[stillcool]

7. there you go...

what a cocktail for a fucked up life. I was looking for some background on this guy, but couldn't find any. Interestingly, there was a young girl interviewed, hours ago, who had spoken to this guy's stepson. He had told her the guy had only flares strapped to himself, had been up drinking for days, and was seriously messed up...but the hostage crisis continued. I wonder how much of all this was necessary. There was also a piece of video of some SWAT members huddled in the alcove of a store-front, giggling away while holding pointed weapons. So reassuring.

[KamaAina]

9. Spotlight, or backlash?

After Virginia Tech, it seemed to me like there was a backlash against people with mental illness. For instance, Bill Richardson came out in favor of mandatory, forced treatment, including psychoactive meds, for mental illness.

[pinto]

10. Are you referring to the Mental Health Treatment Decisions Act he signed in 3/06?

If so, it is not forced treatment.

It is based on an advanced directive signed by an individual, voluntarily assigning the right to make mental health care treatment decisions to a specific person should the individual become incapacitated.

The individual may choose specific conditions that have to occur before the right is assigned.

Incapacitation may only be determined on the agreement of two people - a health care professional and a mental health care professional.

Establishing an advanced directive does not constitute, in itself, any evidence of incapicty. It can only be enacted upon the agreement of those two health care professionals.

And, previous refusal of recommended treatment(s) does not indicate, in itself, any evidence of incapacity.

If the individual recovers, the right is terminated and returns to the individual.

The text of the NM law is here (pdf file):

http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/06%20Regular/final/HB...

[KamaAina]

12. No. Apparently he went on Tweety right after VT and said it.

in any case, 3/06 was before VT; apparently "4/16 changed everything".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Gov Richardson of New Mexico just suggested on Hardball that persons with Mental Illness should be forced to be under treatment. This was in reaction to the Virginia killings

[UTUSN]

11. Neh. It will ALL be "terrorism terrorism terrorism". All over-reaction & misdirection. n/t

[H2O Man]

13. Let's hope he is not

associated too closely with the mentally ill and problems with cuts in services.