General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Blame everything on mental illness. Blame me personally if you want. [View all]Glaug-Eldare
(1,089 posts)but this post does stigmatize treatment. For one thing, advocating a permanent ban means that, no matter how well your illness is managed, how effective a procedure is, how long you've gone without incident, you should never, EVER, be able to enjoy a civil right again. Until you die, you are less of a citizen than your neighbors. That's a big fear to conquer when you're trying to decide whether to spend huge amounts of money to have a stranger write down your most private experiences in a binder. Another problem is that the described symptoms don't indicate even a slight propensity toward violence. A "breakdown" sounds dangerous, but it could mean being so overcome with anxiety that you lock yourself in a bathroom and hide in the toilet stall. The entire reason for removing a person from firearms or other weapons is the likelihood of them perpetrating violence. Unfortunately, people (and I think you did here) read "threat" in many completely nonviolent symptoms and descriptions for mental illness. Due process demands that individuals be evaluated...individually. Any one-size-fits-all or permanent punishments create a fear of being lumped together and locked away if you seek treatment.