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St. Petersburg Times

November 17, 2002

Reprinted with permission of the author. All rights reserved.

LETTER
Law needs repair

It's frustrating to read so many recent articles about the consequences of people living with untreated mental illnesses (Shooting raises training questions, Nov. 7; Man released with medication, Nov. 9; Officers must do better by mentaly ill, Nov. 10; Sister's worrying ends; brother found, Nov. 12.

Nearly half of the people with untreated severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, lack insight into their disease. Many, like my daughter, refuse necessary treatment because they don't think they are sick. For years I have watched her cycle in and out of treatment, powerless to help her because of Florida law, which requires her to be "dangerous" before the court can order her to treatment. Then she can only get help on an inpatient basis.

Under many scenarios like mine, family members are the safety nets for loved ones with severe mental illnesses. When the law prevents us from helping them, it results in tragedies -- homelessness, incarceration, victimization, homicide, suicide.

The situation of my daughter and thousands of others point to the truth. All the police training in the world won't solve the problem of people who need help denied them by their own state laws.

Rhonda Atkins
Sarasota

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