Published in the Westchester Guardian, 2011
The structure of a society can very complex and the freer a society is the more difficult it might be to create positive changes for a segment of that society. This sounds contradictory, but to honor the rights, interest, and livelihoods for all the diverse segments of a society, great diligence must be taken when considering legislative changes. Freedom must be guaranteed, civil rights protected. To do so, requires responsible, vigilant and difficult work. Research is needed to help comprehend the end results of future legislation. I always took for granted or believed how easily change can be implemented.
I recently sat down with New York State Assemblyman George Latimer to outline issues dealing with those who like me suffer from mental illness. I wanted an understanding of his views on mental illness and the constraints facing legislation. As expected he was very open minded and progressive about the umbrella of diseases that come under this heading.
Mr. Latimer sees mental illness “like any other illness not as a value judgment, character flaw or some sort of personality trait. Institutionalizing is not the right path and never has been as history has shown. No longer should mental illness be discussed in whispers or those who suffer be treated as outcasts. Those who cannot function in society are the exception not the rule, and they shall be treated as an exception.” He hopes to see this view become more common with the desired path of having every individual able to function in society.
Public perception of those with mental illness must change, he says. There is some progress but we must find ways to fight the old cultural biases and remove the stigma. Preconceived ideas are dangerous, harmful to individuals, families and our communities. Through educating the public and the disabled community, increasing outreach and involvement, can the tide of generational prejudice be turned. “Even though the stigma has decreased, mental illness is seen as a ‘Scarlet Letter’. Not knowing about mental illness comes into play. We must increase education, but our resources are limited.”
There is another aspect that George says about our disorder that differs from other illnesses, it is that so little is really know about the biological components and the brain’s functions. Ordinary life can be very complex and there are many influences on individual’s behavior as the mind “picks up” many traits to function in a community and to preserve its integrity. Since there is no such thing as a blood test to clarify the illness, diagnosis and medication can only begin and end with observation and personal history. For example, one with bi-polar can be seen as also having ADD or ADHD or possibly schizophrenia. Also, there is no way to test if a medication is the right one. No way to know if there will be side affects. Only by taking the meds and observing behavioral changes can one confirm or deny the value of this particular medication. It is hit or miss and try again. Because medical, scientific research is in its infancy (some say it is at a level where cancer was 50 years ago.), there is difficulty passing legislation to the afflicted community and the larger community that will be affected by these changes.
Westchester, Albany, the nation, face monetary hardships. “This restricts or limits our choices and actions,” says Latimer. Job training, public education, housing availability are all diminished. However, funding can only go so far. False images about mental illness can not be resolved by just passing money around. For example, the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome might only be overcome by the actuality of a group home in one’s neighborhood. He also reminded me that once legislation is passed, Albany is removed from the issue and the work is passed on to the administration where the processes of implementation take time and new, unforeseen issues can arise.
With all the obstacles facing the mental illness-health care connection it is difficult to imagine that New York State has been given a B rating from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in 2009. This was their second “Grading the States” report (the first was in 2006) with little overall improvement in national and state grades. The national grade along with 20 states was a D; 18 received C’s, no states received an A, 6 obtained failing grades and the balance (6) states got a B. In 2006, NYS obtained an incomplete grade.
Mr. Latimer stated that even though the constraints facing mental illness and proper health care are enormous, the first step to change begins with open and frank discussions, seeking better relationships within the mental healthcare community, the community at large, those who write the laws and those who administer them.
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