Is Obama Willfully Ignoring the Obvious About Mass Shootings?

By law, a person suffering from a severe mental illness (I'm talking about an adult) and demonstrating extremely bizarre behavior cannot be forcibly hospitalized or institutionalized unless he or she has become a threat to themselves or to others.  Hospitalization can be ordered by a court, but only if the person breaks the law.  By law,  a severely mentally ill person can't be forced to take their medication, even if the medication helps stabilize them.  By law, they don't have to go to therapy.  By law, even when hospitalized, they have a right to sign themselves out after three to five day days.  By law, a severely mentally ill person can choose to not receive psychiatriac or

psychological treatment.  In short, the law gives persons with severe mental illness the right to make decisions that can have tremendous consequences, even tragic ones.  And believe it or not, I understand why.  It wasn't very long ago when the mentally ill had no rights when it came to their medical care, and consequently, many suffered horrible conditions and treatment in institutions.

But as it often happens, those who were trying to do good by making positive changes to effect mental healthcare, allowed the pendulum to swing too far the other way.  It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, that the law allows a person that is clearly and certifiably severely mentally unstable, to make decisions about their care...when they are obviously incapable of responsibily making those types of decisions.

This is a great frustration for families with loved ones suffering from severe mental illness.  They are painfully aware that there is nothing that can be done to force a mentally sick loved one to get treatment if they choose not to.  There's guardianship, which is a complex process, in part because the person's sypmtoms may be intermittant; there can be resistance, since people (even those with severe mental illness) want to live their lives without someone else having control over them, and court's often have difficulty establishing competency/incompetency. Which leaves families clinging to hope that their loved one doesn't go out and do anything crazy. It also explains why after a mass shooting, family members will often say that they tried to get help, but couldn't.

***

The mass shooting that occurred last week at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon was heartbreaking, painful and further reason to question if our safety can be guaranteed anywhere.  It's a legitmate question considering that in less than ten years, there have been mass shootings at colleges and universities, military installations, a church, a Sikh temple, elementary schools, a daycare center, a day spa, private homes, movie theatres, a supermarket, warehouses, shopping malls and several businesses.  In fact, according to the FBI, since 2006, there have been more than 200 mass killings in the United States.  The bureau defines a mass killing as four or more victims, and according to their data, most are family related.

When these tragedies occur, our nation is shaken by the senseless bloodshed. We look for answers, we look for solace and we look for leadership. Even when the details surrounding such tragedies are made public, we are still left wondering why.  Why would anyone want to kill innocent people? Why do these things keep happening? Why won't somebody do something?  The answers to these questions are rarely satisfactory.  How can they be, when the people who have the power to effect meaningful change continue to offer the same single solution--gun control, while willfully ignoring the fundamental cause of the problem.  Mental illness is the elephant in the room. In practically every case of a mass public shooting, we learn that the shooter had a lengthy history of  serious mental illness.

Many people don't want to hear about mental illness as being a cause for someone going on a deadly rampage.  They reason, that there are plenty of mentally ill people, and most don't kill.  And that's absolutely true. In fact, most people with mental illness are not violent (actually they're more often the victims of violence).  The majority are able to manage their disorders and lead productive lives. But what about those who are suffering from serious mental illness (SMI) and are unable or unwilling to manage their disease?  The human body gets sick, and sickness is not limited to certain parts like the heart, kidneys or lungs. Sometimes, the mind gets sick. Unfortunately, many in our society still view mental illness very differently from other illnesses.

According to several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control, about 25 percent of Americans suffer mental illness in a given year.  Mental illness is quite complicated since it comes in many forms such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, impulse control disorders, stress disorders and eating disorders   Some forms of mental illness are more serious than others.  Some mental illness lasts a lifetime, others maybe a few weeks. Information from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) shows that about 1 out of  17 people live with a serious mental condition. That's a lot of people. People who at any given time may be experiencing visual and/or auditory hallucinations, delusions, false perceptions and beliefs, inflated grandiosity, severe depression, mania or other symptoms that could lead them to commit dangerous acts.

***

Following the tragic shootings at Umpqua, President Obama said, "Each time this happens, I'm going to say that we can actually do something about it, but we're going to have to change our laws."  He's right, there is more that we can do. We can change laws affecting the seriously mentally ill.   Just as political strategists found a way to use federal funds to promote gun control, we need the same political will to develop more effective strategies for servicing this population.  Today, most federal funding for mental healthcare goes towards prescription drugs and outpatient services.  But again, if a seriously mentally ill person doesn't want to take their meds or chooses not to go in for treatment--oh well.  Although states have increased spending on mental health in the past year, many state-run mental hospitals and clinics remain shuttered following drastic federal budget cuts for mental health services in 2008-2009.

If President Obama continues to ignore the significant role that mental illness has in most mass shootings, then not only is he being politically expedient, but irresponsible.  And if he is actually angling for us to adopt the gun policies of Great Britain or Australia as he clearly suggested in his statement following the Umpqua shootings (it's in the 12th paragraph) then he is also fully commited to politicizing the issue.

It should be noted that most gun deaths are a result of suicide. And 90 % of people that commit suicide have a mental illness at the time of their death.

.