Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Defining "Mental Illness"

"Most of the homeless are 'mentally ill'," it's heard all the time. What does it mean? So many different levels of "mental illness." In regards to homelessness, should it matter if your brain is pickled because of a life of drug/alcohol abuse, or if it has been with you since birth? Yes, I say, it matters. BECAUSE, if you are a pickled brain, then you HAD a choice whereas the mentally ill, AT BIRTH, there was/is no choice. Beginning of story.

2 comments:

TXsharon said...

Hi, I thought you might be interested in reading these and I wanted to share them with you.

This one is LONG but it's easy to read and brings up some great talking/thinking points: I'm Forgiving John Edwards for Hugh Shelton and I'm Not Looking for Perfection--With Poll

Inspiring videos and commentary: Edwards closes in NH: "America Rising" full video

The Democratic Establishment Can't Stand John Edwards

About Mental Illness: A HUGE percentage of the homeless and mentally ill (even the ones with pickled brains) are veterans who fought in the largely unnecessary rich-white-mens' wars and were then left broken by our society.

Suzette said...

txsharon - as always, thanks for all in the information re: Edwards. I'll keep pulling for him. On mental illness, another way to categorize our mentally ill population would be done by:
1. those "mentally ill" due to the choice to self medicate their emotional baggage with drugs/alcohol 2. those who's illness is from birth and made no choice whatsoever in their lifelong illness