In our newspaper yesterday, we found an announcement article about a new Medic Alert program for those diagnosed with bipolar disorder. (As many of you already know, our younger son was diagnosed just weeks before he started college.)
What a difference this program demonstrates between the attitudes of just ten short years ago and today . . .
Quiltdivajulie
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"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed but in what is still possible for you to do." (Pope John XXIII)
5 comments:
One of the many lessons I learned in all my years of public school is how different kids are and that we must all be tolerant and try to understand why they do what they do. Yes attitudes about so many things are changing. You son did not ask for this condition. The bracelets are a great idea.
The bracelet sounds like a great idea - I would definitely want to be informed right away.
I took a NAMI class, and they mentioned that there are advanced directives forms that consumers can sign so that their wishes are known.
Yes, there are indeed advanced directives specifically oriented for mental health consumers - the Declaration for Mental Health Treatment is the most recognized:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/books/MntlH.PDF
This new Medic Alert concept is especially important and valuable because most folks don't carry their paperwork at all times. It is especially important for those in the throes of an episode when they cannot speak for themselves and those with them don't know their specifics.
Yes, NAMI has some terrific training programs.
In Oregon, in the past few years, several homeless men ended up being tazered with as many as 6 policemen needed to hold them down. It turned out that one was bi-polar, off meds, and the other, schizophrenic, off meds. As I recall, during the controlling aspects of one of the men hitting, punching, cussing, etc etc. a wrong hold was used to hold him down and I think he ended up eventually dying from a bizarre injury he sustained. It is incredibly frightening and makes it all the more apparent how crucial mental health training is and how important that those in need get the help and medications they so desperately require to live happy and productive lives.
This is such a great idea. I'm so glad someone thought of this. The field of psychology has come so far these last few years...
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