I am an avid fan of the TV show 60 minutes and I remembered watching a segment on mentally ill youth. The title of the video says it all: Nowhere to go. The video begins with the issue of the Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds that was attacked by his 24 year old son as a result of one of his furious outbreaks due to mental health problems. The son, Gus Deeds, was a good student but he started having problems so his father decided it was time to get help. Unfortunately, there were no spots available for him at any hospital the night of the fatal incident so the demons in Gus' head got the best of him and as a consequence of attacking his dad, he shot and killed himself. There are various mothers in the video that have formed a support group for their mentally ill children. They all feel that the system has completely failed them and they have been struggling for years without appropriate help. The problem is that if there aren't any beds in the psychiatric wing at any hospital, then parents are forced to bring their children to the emergency room to get the medication they need. Furthermore because of insurance they will most likely be discharged quickly with nowhere to go and they will definitely be a threat to themselves, their family and the society around them.
Nowhere to Go: Mentally ill youth
I was absolutely shocked to find out that the only option most mental health patients have in the United States is the emergency room. We are one of, if not the most advanced country in the world yet we cannot help young people and adults with the demons in their heads and the constant struggles they are forced to go through. Society doesn't understand that these individuals are truly ill. The most horrifying incident in the video was that one of the women was told that her only option was to give her daughter up to the state in order to be fully covered by the insurance company. This is outrageous, I can't believe how many tragic flaws are in the system in this nation. It's almost as if the US wants to avoid this whole topic and a phrase by the interviewer describes it perfectly "Don't want to fund it. Don't want to talk about it. Don't want to see it". When will the government realize the issues will only grow and why haven't they taken action yet?
Wow, I think it's horrible that this happens in the United State. You would think that we had better grasp on what mental health patients need. I'm surprised that more people aren't aware that the way America handle's mental health. I'm glad that the mothers in the 60 minutes video are trying to form awareness about this problem by forming a support group. I think Gus Deeds's story is very moving and it shows that people who are mentally ill are normal people that just have a disease. The fact that this whole incident could have been avoided if he was hospitalized and treated that night is outrageous.
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