Thoughts to a young man writing about the mental illness industry

I've been active with human rights advocacy for about three decades, the focus issues of important to people with psychiatric diagnoses and physical disabilities.

Two different yet overlying "camps" of people, as it were.

It is clear that at some point we friended one another on FB; looking at what you have been writing - and of the breadth of issues touched upon, I am glad we did.

Currently I work as an advocate "within" one part of the huge dysfunctional system that is mental health services in the USA. I harbor no illusions about "fixing" that system from within, yet also recognize that without dedicated folks working in it, then those without voice who are in it, are at even greater risk for being further victimized by abusers - be they power-hungry shrinks or family members distraught that they cannot control their unruly kinfolk.

Advocating within a system - as I see it - basically follows two different (though overlapping) paths:

1- Advocacy: that is, speaking up for the improvement of living conditions; making incremental changes in how everything from treatment team planning is conducted (including making sure the client/patient/inmate's voice is not only heard but heeded); to speaking out for the reduction and eventual elimination of seclusion and restraints (including chemical restraints) as well as being a watchful eye and ear close-up-and-personal of the staff; and providing empathy, compassion and offering options to those most in need - i.e. the folks caught up in the system as clients (whether inpatient or out).

2- Abuse and Grievance investigations: Here, working inside the system is necessary, for the investigator has to have access to records (both patient as well as employee performance), policies, incident reports and given the authority to hand down decisions and rulings (don't use this term w/the treatment folks or employee unions - they'll have a bird !) well, findings and recommendations, then. on how to implement corrective measures to ensure abuse is discontinued, employees disciplined (or fired, depending on the seriousness of the findings) and to watchdog the time line for corrective measures to be put into action.

And another thread: "Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity" and "competency" issues: I'm impressed! Few people in the psyche survivor "movement" (as it were) ever seem to touch upon these matters. BOTH are crucial and warrant a much closer review of how these concepts impinge on civil liberties as well as feed into the media and pro-forced treatment zealots intentional deceptions about "The Mentally Ill" (picture that last quote as bold faced, italicized and underlined). The "not competent" legal status is - and always has been - a clear violation of a person's right to a speedy trial. The NGRI issue is a HUGE whale of injustice against people who have committed crimes while in states of extreme distress. NGRI "acquitees" - across the nation - spend 2 to 3 times longer incarcerated (often in "hospitals") than they would have for their crimes if they plead guilty. NGRI is also a convenient vehicle (as you have noted) for folks who - quite in touch with their motives and purposes - attempt to use the NGRI designation to not be held accountable for their actions - often heinous and inhumane - crimes

I could go on, which would be unfair; since I am writing you unsolicited with my opinions.

So I shall tarry no longer, and step down from the soapbox.

short story - FaceBook game causes workplace murder

      "Facebook Game Cause of Workplace Murder!" I heard the cops say as they hauled me, handcuffed, out of the building. I was dazed and splattered with blood! All because of a stupid game.
      If only I'd never begun to play Bejeweled Blitz on FaceBook. That's what started this. That, and a perky - but not very smart - cleaning woman from work also played.
      First we’d joke about our scores; a fine relationship since mine were usually much higher. But then she began outranking me; often as top winner in the weekly online tourney. That hurt. She was just a cleaning woman; I was a top engineer. It became embarrassing.
      I became obsessed, playing late into the night until I got the "new high score". This affected my performance at work, but I bested her.
      But when a revamped version of the game came online, I couldn't get the hang of it. She teased me. "I see you got 9,600 to my 384,900," she'd cheerily call out.
      It went from bad to worse. My supervisor called me after some diagrams I'd drawn were faulty. He warned me to deal with what it was that troubled me. He asked if I needed counseling. I said nothing. I couldn't talk about it.
      I avoided going past her work area. Then one weekend a snowstorm came and shut everything down for four days. I thought 'surely, in a marathon session I could finally top her score'.
      It didn't work. It was four days, barely sleeping, playing almost non-stop but never scored over 97,000. The cleaning woman? She topped 500,000 points, all in less than a minute's time.
      Defeated, I finally quit and got a couple of hours restless sleep. I actually felt I wanted to die.
      I woke up late, angry. Angry that a janitor, a woman no less, could persistently out-score me. The Weather Channel gave gale wind warnings as I left for work. I did not heed them.
      Once off the bus, I stumbled. As I fell I felt the wind rush by me, razor sharp and merciless. I saw her then. I thought my life would flash before my eyes but all I could see was her face. I turned to face my doom, I wouldn’t die like this. Not like this… if I couldn't beat her at Bejeweled, I would have to kill her.
      Once inside, I crept up behind her while she filled the mop pail. With a big plumber's wrench I slammed it down across the back of her head, again and again and again.
      Only too late I realized what I had done. I was mortified, but relieved. For the first time in weeks, I stood up a little taller.
      I knew what to do next. I will plead insanity! The tale so weird I'm sure I could get off. And this was Connecticut, in New England, "Blue State" country. Land of winter cabin fever. Surely folks here would be understanding. My nightmare was over.

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LITTLE KNOWN FACTS: What the protagonist in this tale does not yet know most people found NGRI are likely to spend two to three times longer incarcerated, than had they said they were guilty of the crime. And in Connecticut if someone successfully pleads "Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity" they are placed under the purview of an agency that is like a combination Parole and mental health court review Board, known as the PSRB (or Psychiatric Security Review Board.