abortion addict

[CJB]

Oh I'm not saying you stereotyped or belittled mental illness Cheri. I'm just saying these three cases of mentally unsound women are three distinct cases and I don't think they can be compared. That's all.

 

[Buffalo]

I was talking about Irene Vilar's two small children.

Oh, ok.

 

[sallylou]

Cheri, I appreciate your concern and apology. I wasn't offended. My deal is that the stigma surrounding mental illness needs to be eliminated. It keeps many people from receiving mental health care when they need it. Mentally ill people need support, not shame.

It's slowly changing. My elders would not see a therapist or shrink to save their lives. Mental illness in my family was hidden and denied. I have 2 cousins who are schizophrenic and it's a tragic disease. It's also a disease which keeps patients from taking their medication (the paranoia). It has both a genetic and environmental component. Schizophrenia is the most feared disease because of the loss of touch with reality. That's what makes the person unable to live a normal life and it's incredibly sad.

Many people who need mental health care have suffered trauma, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse. In the US, we have soldiers returning from war who need help. These people need understanding and compassion, not shame.

Thanks for allowing me to share these thoughts. Many people are not aware of mental health issues, even though every person knows someone that has been or will be affected by mental illness. It's time to bring these issues out of the closet and address them. Mental health care is seriously lacking in the US. We all deserve better.

 

[jillio]

Jillio; Suppose Irene Vilar hasn't gotten the help she needs to break the cycle... would she became worse when she undergo menopause? How does one like her break this cycle? By replacing the 'high' of getting an abortion with the 'high' of something else that is far less dangerous?

Yes. Had she not received help, she would have found another way to gain the power and control she felt she did not have in her life.

 

[jillio]

I don't think it's fair to lump all mental illnesses together by comparing them. Andrea in Kerrville TX, Irene Vilar, and this woman who was an abortion addict are all different cases.

You are exactly right. These women had 3 very different diagnoses. They cannot be compared at all. Not only is symptomology different, etiology is different, prognosis is different, treatment is different, and propensity for dangerousness is different. It is like comparing someone with a common cold to someone with cancer.