Hi, everyone. I think that this is my first post here.

[Maddy McCall]

I recently watched someone close to me suffer through the woefully inadequate mental health system in Mississippi. I've described what I witnessed in a thread in GD here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1054880&mesg_id=1054880

I will be participating more in this forum in the future. I have to say a huge thank-you to KamaAina for providing me references to do something about what I witnessed.

I'm going to read through some of the threads in here now. If you'd like to share your (or your loved one's) experiences in the mental health system in your community, please either post in the thread linked above, or in this thread.

Here's a link to the National Alliance for Mental Illness' report, which assigns a grade to the mental health system in each state.

http://www.nami.org/gtstemplate.cfm?section=grading_the_states&lstid=701



I hope that I can participate here in a constructive way.

:hi:

[EFerrari]

1. Good to read you, Maddy.

:hug:
:grouphug:

[Maddy McCall]

2. My eyes have been opened.

Live and learn. Lots of introspection about my own attitudes and how I treat people. I have learned so much about human dignity (and inhumane callousness) the past month.

:hug:

:loveya:

[fizzgig]

3. thanks for the info, maddy

i lurk here, but that link is really enlightening

i was surprised at how my state (colorado) ranked in funding...that is a lot higher than what i've seen in the past

as a side note, the governor just signed a bill that expanded parity in mental health coverage

[Forkboy]

4. The Mass ranking strikes me as just about right.

We actually have decent services but are overwhelmed with patients,and have been since the 80's when Reagan emptied all the facilities around here.I still see some of the same people on the streets I saw 20 years ago.

My own counselor says there's about 6-7 month wait to get in to a psychiatrist.There's a lot of good people trying but they just don't have the support they need to help others as effectively as they want to.