Hello Everyone,
For your third Writing Journal assignment, please read the following article: “Compassion Compulsion and the Mentally Ill" by E. Fuller Torrey, Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.: Jun 9, 2008. p. A.17
- From Falvey Library's homepage (on the left side), choose "Databases A-Z."
- Then choose "ABI/INFORM Global (ProQuest)."
- Next, click on the "Publications" tab.
- Choose Wall Street Journal: Eastern Edition.
- Write the article’s title or author in the “Search for articles . . .” data field, and perform your search.
You’re welcome to respond to the article however you wish. I do encourage you, though, to consider the following:
Do you think the ideas discussed in the article need to be treated as a homelessness issue, a mental health issue, or something else? Why?
Consider the arguments both for and against keeping people with severe mental illnesses confined to institutions. Which arguments do you find to be persuasive? Why? Which arguments are weak? Why?
Suppose the medical community determines that a person must take medication, otherwise he may become a danger to himself and others. What can or should be done if he refuses? Do such patients have a right to refuse treatment?
Please include the following information as a heading on your work:
Your name
Eng1050 – 20
Writing Journal Assignment #3
Please post your Writing Journal response to this article (200 - 250 words) by Thursday, October 1, 2009.
Have a good day.
Mr. Dierkes
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Dan Lyons
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050-20
Writing Journal Assignment #3
I think that E. Fuller Torrey’s article is through and through about a mental health issue. The whole article is about how violent people with serious mental illnesses can be and how it should be prevented. I don’t think that these patients should be confined to mental institutions at all, especially when they have proven that they are healthy enough to live in a public community. However, I do believe that the ones with a history of violence, or all, should be somewhat monitored and still receive medicine regularly. Torrey’s article clearly stated that the states that implemented Kendra’s Law have shown much progression. It makes no sense to me at all that not all of the states have implemented this law; it has proven to work so they should use it. The studies show that when this law is enforced, fewer homicides happen and the mental patients continue to live their lives safely. It was said that programs to enforce this law would be expensive, but Torrey proved that it wasn’t. He said that repeated hospital admissions and costs of homicides are far more expensive to deal with. Overall I think that Torrey makes great points and that I agree with him.
Daniel Irizarry
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050-20
Writing Journal Assignment #3
The statistics provided by Fuller are of great significance. The data shows that people with mental issues are of much concern to society, yet they are not being taken care of. People with these types of problems not only pose a threat to those around them, but to themselves. As Fuller said"It must be remembered that for the person with severe mental illness who has no treatment, the most dreaded of confinements can be the imprisonment inflicted by his own mind". This shows that the government should do something to protect people with mental issues not only for society, but for the mentally ill. It clear that treating these people would greatly reduce homicide, therefore also reducing the amount of money needed to maintain jails and security systems. The government must realize that it is their duty to help these sick people because they are in danger of themselves and their incarceration by their minds.
It is interesting that Fuller uses certain statistics to prove that the mentally ill are tragically mistreated. The fact that more mentally ill patients are in prison than in a mental hospital is a travesty that needs to be corrected. 10% of all murders nationwide are committed by mentally ill patients who aren't aware of their sickness. If these patients were getting the correct treatment, many lives could be saved. Also, the outpatient treatment in use in New York is a great idea. Other states should implement a similar idea if increasing the number of mental hospital beds isn't an option. Whatever the case may be, without the proper help being rendered, there are people who will never get better and will continue to hurt themselves and others.
ReplyDeleteJackeline Moreno
ReplyDeleteEnglish 1050
Assignment 3
I think the issues discussed in this article should be addressed as an issue of mental health and the inadequate system for its treatment. This past year, my sister, who is completing her master’s in occupational therapy, worked at an acute psychiatric hospital. When I asked her about her work with mentally ill people she had much to tell. She explained to me that some of the people with these conditions are truly incapable of making good decision on their own. Almost all of them hate the hospital and hate being forced to take medication. They do not believe they have a problem and try to resist the care of the hospital. Like mentioned in the article, a great number of people who need treatment never get it and end up getting into trouble. Not everyone goes to the doctor for a regular check up. Some people let years go by and their illness are unknown by doctors thus they do not take medication they should be taking. Unfortunately because of some chemical imbalance in the brain, some people can have very bad mental illnesses that make them dangerous to others. They need to be treated for their own protection as well as that of others. In these cases, I do think that after thorough examination by doctors showing that the person indeed is dangerous to himself/ herself, the mentally unstable individual should be forced to take the needed medication.