Posts by inmi1

Joanne Kelly

My son’s kindergarten teacher once commented that my son Jay (not his real name) was going to be a lady killer someday. My rational mind was sure she was referring to the way his cherubic smile, twinkling eyes, halo of curls and boundless energy would attract women in swarms and break a few hearts. But a part of me has been holding my breath these many years – he’s approaching 40 now – praying that the literal meaning of the teacher’s words would never come to pass.

I know what the studies say: People with mental illnesses are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. And I know that 99.9 percent of the time, Jay is a peaceful person who slips easily into passivity. But when he feels like he is being attacked or threatened, he explodes. With the delusions he suffers as a result of his schizoaffective disorder, his brain sometimes tricks him into thinking he is being watched. Or threatened. Or attacked.

Once when his delusions were running rampant, he disassembled all the smoke alarms, doorknobs, telephones and clocks in his mobile home, looking for the bug someone had planted to track his movements. I called his therapist and expressed my concern. Later that week, I found a circle of knives impaled in the linoleum of his kitchen floor. I don’t know what the circle of knives meant, but it sure looked menacing. I called his therapist once again. This time I asked her to hospitalize him.

She couldn’t or wouldn’t make it happen, I was never quite sure which. She was busy protecting his right to refuse treatment. I carefully reread our state’s involuntary commitment laws and brought photographic proof to his therapist and to our county’s crisis team that he was unable to take care of his basic needs and quite possibly was a danger to himself or others. Still, no dice. “Quite possibly” isn’t enough.

Concerned about his safety, I called the police for a welfare check. Fortunately, many of Boulder’s officers have received Crisis Intervention Training to help them de-escalate situations involving people with mental illnesses. The CIT officer who checked on Jay found water pouring out the door of his mobile home. Jay had plugged all the drains and left all the taps wide open to flood the place with “holy water.”

The officer didn’t need further convincing that my son needed help. He handcuffed Jay – a barbaric practice, if you ask me – and transported him to our local hospital. After evaluating Jay, they admitted him to a psychiatric ward at a hospital in another city, since no beds were available in Boulder.

Here’s the question: Why did I have to work so hard to get my son help when he was unquestionably profoundly ill? I know the standard answer is about protecting his civil rights. But I maintain that his mental illness is what restricts his civil liberties – not insisting that he get treatment for it.

Our laws need to change.

As Pete Earley says in his book, Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness:

“Rather than see them [people who are psychotic and on the streets] as human beings who are suffering from serious brain disorders and who need medical attention, our laws defend their right to be crazy, as if having a chemical imbalance in your neurons is a choice….Obviously the civil rights of the mentally ill need to be guarded. But we have created a system that is heavily biased against intervention and treatment.”

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has made a proposal to update our civil commitment laws; make it easier to identify people with mental illnesses who are a danger to themselves and others; and provide safer, more-humane treatment.  Get details.

I believe it is a step in the right direction. It should make it easier to prevent another tragedy.

If you have not already done so, please encourage your faith community to get involved. Take the time to understand the issues and make your voices heard. Remember, one in four of your congregants has had a personal experience with mental illnesses. This is not someone else’s problem. Let’s find a way to fix it.

Joanne Kelly

Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

Co-founder and board treasurer

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the submitter. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the board of directors or members of the Interfaith Network on Mental Illness.

by Rev. Alan Johnson

The shootings in Newtown have generated a fair amount of dialog about mental illness. Many people are talking about positive ways to address tough mental health issues:

• How do we make sure people with mental illness get help when they are critically ill without violating their rights?
• How do we reduce stigma so people with mental illnesses are not afraid to seek treatment?
• How do we convince the general public that people with mental illness are much more likely to be the victims of violent acts than the perpetrators?

I am glad we are having these conversations.

At the same time, the shooting in Newtown have precipitated a few emails and articles that endorse the misguided belief that mental illness is caused by demon possession. What is the best way to respond to comments like that?

My friend Bill Gaventa, M.Div., has a good answer. Here’s what he says:

“Mental illness is not caused by demon possession. It can sometimes seem like other powers are in control or impacting a loved one, and the causes of mental illness are often not clearly traceable or understandable. But there is simply no evidence of mental illness being caused by demon possession. The same thing used to be said for all kinds of other illnesses, diagnoses that none of us would give today.

“One of the ways that citing mental illness as demon possession further wounds a person with mental illness and his or her family and friends is that the next step is often claiming that a lack of healing is a lack of faith on the part of the person or, sometimes even worse, on the part of the family. Anyone who asserts that must realize that if they could not cure someone by faith (of any disease or especially mental illness), that is also a judgment they have to make against themselves. Rather, individuals and families need the faithfulness of friends, extended family, professionals, and faith communities who can walk with them, support them, and prevent the kind of isolation and stigmatization that often accompanies mental illness.

More resources on mental illness, spirituality and religion, are available on our “Links” page.

Alan Johnson

Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

Chair of the Board of Directors

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the submitter. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the board of directors or members of the Interfaith Network on Mental Illness.

Rev. Alan Johnson

I have received several poignant emails and messages that I would like to share with you to expand the conversation about the shooting tragedy, faith and mental health.

“The world is crying for healing and spiritual renewal. I hope and pray to make a difference.” 

“I hope there is more attention brought to treating mental illness and increasing resources for treatment as the nation mourns, and yet I also worry this will be yet another event that continues to increase the stigma of those with mental illness, which could decrease people asking for the mental health help they need… which become a moot point if that help is not there anyhow…  There really are no good solutions, but maybe in time, things will keep shifting towards what will really help everyone.”

“(I was) reminded to turn inward in prayer and meditation.  I am not angry, just traumatized, I think.  Actually, I think my psyche has been traumatized.  All, weekend I have been looking forward to church today, because I know it will be a time to come together in love and spirit.  As a nation, we have all been traumatized.  Today I plan to let go of the horror and seek forgiveness and compassion, especially for the families who have lost loved ones.  Today, I am going to step out of my own dark thoughts and fears and into the light!  I am going to let go and let God.  I will pray that God uses me as his instrument.  Through God’s grace may we heal.” 

“While we should advocate for better access to mental health service, it is important to remember that people who live with mental illness are not inherently violent. This is a difficult balancing act because on the one hand we need to highlight the lack of access to care, while at the same time we don’t want to perpetuate stigma by scapegoating people with mental illness as ones who are violent.” 

I hope that conversations continue and that out of the conversations comes action, even small steps of listening profoundly to each other; confronting any misunderstanding about mental health challenges; contacting your politicians to break the silence about gun violence; and encouraging your faith leaders to think with you about the issues that have been mentioned above.

Here are some links that can broaden the conversation by helping us see the tragedy from a variety of perspectives:

From a faith-community perspective:

·         UCC faith community offers prayers for grieving Newtown, Conn.

From a parent’s perspective:

·         What We Parents Must Do, Sojourners

·         ‘I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother’: A Mom’s Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America

From the perspective of people with brain disorders:

·         I am Schizophrenic. Understanding Mental Illness in the Wake of the Newtown, CT Tragedy

If you have found other resources that have offered you insight or that have helped you view the shooting from different perspectives, please let us know.

If you or someone in your congregation wants to learn more about mental health, visit NAMI.org and NAMI Faithnet.

Alan Johnson

Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

Chair of the Board of Directors

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the submitter. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the board of directors or members of the Interfaith Network on Mental Illness.

by Rev. Alan Johnson

I have received several poignant emails and messages that I would like to share with you to expand the conversation about the shooting tragedy, faith and mental health.

“The world is crying for healing and spiritual renewal. I hope and pray to make a difference.” 

“I hope there is more attention brought to treating mental illness and increasing resources for treatment as the nation mourns, and yet I also worry this will be yet another event that continues to increase the stigma of those with mental illness, which could decrease people asking for the mental health help they need… which become a moot point if that help is not there anyhow…  There really are no good solutions, but maybe in time, things will keep shifting towards what will really help everyone.”

“(I was) reminded to turn inward in prayer and meditation.  I am not angry, just traumatized, I think.  Actually, I think my psyche has been traumatized.  All, weekend I have been looking forward to church today, because I know it will be a time to come together in love and spirit.  As a nation, we have all been traumatized.  Today I plan to let go of the horror and seek forgiveness and compassion, especially for the families who have lost loved ones.  Today, I am going to step out of my own dark thoughts and fears and into the light!  I am going to let go and let God.  I will pray that God uses me as his instrument.  Through God’s grace may we heal.” 

“While we should advocate for better access to mental health service, it is important to remember that people who live with mental illness are not inherently violent. This is a difficult balancing act because on the one hand we need to highlight the lack of access to care, while at the same time we don’t want to perpetuate stigma by scapegoating people with mental illness as ones who are violent.” 

I hope that conversations continue and that out of the conversations comes action, even small steps of listening profoundly to each other; confronting any misunderstanding about mental health challenges; contacting your politicians to break the silence about gun violence; and encouraging your faith leaders to think with you about the issues that have been mentioned above.

Here are some links that can broaden the conversation by helping us see the tragedy from a variety of perspectives:

From a faith-community perspective:

•  UCC faith community offers prayers for grieving Newtown, Conn.

From a parent’s perspective:

• What We Parents Must Do, Sojourners
• ‘I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother’: A Mom’s Perspective On The Mental Illness Conversation In America

From the perspective of people with brain disorders:

• I am Schizophrenic. Understanding Mental Illness in the Wake of the Newtown, CT Tragedy

If you have found other resources that have offered you insight or that have helped you view the shooting from different perspectives, please let us know.

If you or someone in your congregation wants to learn more about mental health, visit NAMI.org and NAMI Faithnet.

Alan Johnson

Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

Chair of the Board of Directors

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the submitter. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the board of directors or members of the Interfaith Network on Mental Illness.

by Joanne Kelly

President Obama opened Monday’s National Conference on Mental Health with inspiring words for people with mental illnesses and their families. “Let people who are struggling in silence know: You are not alone. Recovery is possible. There is hope.” See a video of the president’s remarks or read the transcript.

He convinced me he understands the stigma problem. I am also convinced his words were not empty platitudes. He intends to do something about it, and the conference was a first step. A baby step, perhaps, but a step in the right direction.

The conference brought together people from across the country, including mental health advocates, educators, health care providers, faith leaders, government officials, and individuals with mental health problems, to discuss how we can work together to reduce stigma and help the millions of Americans with mental health challenges recognize the importance of reaching out for assistance.

Before the administration issued the final conference invitations, potential invitees were asked what they would do to launch or facilitate a national conversation about stigma. This was a brilliant move. We couldn’t just attend the conference and go home feeling smug. We had to figure out how we could be part of the solution.

INMI committed to three things:

· Develop and implement a national online database of organizations that are operating at the intersection of faith/spirituality/religion and mental health. The database will make it easier for groups to find each other, collaborate and share best practices.

· Deliver a webcast on what we have learned in our efforts to mobilize faith communities in our county to deal more effectively with stigma. Communities that are considering launching similar efforts can learn from our experience.

· Add three clergy-focused videos on suicide prevention to our Caring Clergy website to give faith-community leaders nationwide a quick way to educate themselves when the need arises.

A conference fact sheet lists commitments made by other participating organizations. For example, the YMCA is educating its camp counselors to recognize signs of mental health problems in campers. The National Association of Broadcasters is planning a national public service campaign to convince young people it’s okay to talk about mental health and help is available. The United Church of Christ is planning a Mental Health Awareness Sunday in October with the theme “Widen the Welcome: UCC for Mental Health” that will be rolled out at UCC churches nationwide.

Besides holding conferences, what is the current administration doing for mental health? It is investing in brain research and doing more for veterans returning home with traumatic brain injuries and PTSD. But probably its most significant contribution is the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which expands mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment to an estimated 60,000 people. Starting next year, insurance companies won’t be able to deny people coverage because of pre-existing mental health conditions. The administration also launched a new website, www.mentalhealth.gov, with tools for encouraging conversations about stigma.

I felt honored and privileged to attend the conference. I have read a couple of commentaries that were critical of the conference because it did not address the right issues. While  I understand those criticisms and don’t necessarily disagree with some of the points, I would rather give the administration kudos for doing something positive for mental health and continue to encourage them to address some of the structural problems in this country that make recovery difficult for those with the most severe and persistent mental illnesses.

Let’s continue to work together to take small steps in the right direction.

Joanne Kelly

Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

Co-founder and board treasurer

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the submitter. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the board of directors or members of the Interfaith Network on Mental Illness.