Mental Illness
What are a patient's rights?
People with brain disorders usually medicate themselves before they reach a point of realizing that they have a brain disorder.
This self-administered medication is often illegal drugs. Patients may use marijuana to relieve anxiety, depression, and other disorders. Alcohol is commonly used in an effort to relieve emotional, psychological, or brain disorder problems.
Advanced stages of mental illness may be closely interrelated with chronic substance abuse. Most often, however, persons with substance abuse problems end up in jail, instead of receiving proper diagnosis and treatment.
Arkansas jails do not have programs by which to identify or treat persons with mental illness. Persons who may be seriously ill and suffering withdrawals from substance abuse may wait in a jail for days, weeks, and often months until there is an open bed in the state hospital where diagnosis and treatment might be obtained.
DPEG supports improved access to diagnosis and treatment for drug crime defendants who may be mentally ill. DPEG supports investigation of marijuana's usefulness as an anti-depressant.
An estimated 20-30% of current inmates suffer from a serious mental illness.
70% of current inmates are chemically dependent.
23% of mothers in state prisons reported an indication of mental illness (either a hospitalization prior to incarceration or a current mental or emotional condition)
The primary advocacy organization for mental illness sufferers is National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), with an Arkansas chapter based in Little Rock. NAMI-Ark, 712 West 3rd Street, Suite 200, Little Rock AR 72201, or call 1-800-844-0381
NAMI has its critics. Support Coalition International, organization of "recovering psychiatric patients," argues that NAMI position cannot be trusted because NAMI receives huge amounts of funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
We've included an Insight.com article on this alleged conflict, "Writing May Be on Wall for Ritalin."
Links
National Association for the Mentally Ill www.nami.org
Support Coalition International is a non-profit federation of 88 groups in 13 countries winning human rights and alternatives for people diagnosed with mental disabilities. www.mindfreedom.org
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