Letter: Mental Health System Overhaul a Must

Editor’s note: This letter was written in response to “Report: ‘Screaming Voices’ Told Woman to Kill Mom, Stepdad.”

Editor:

I read this article on Patch with sadness knowing this sort of thing will likely happen again, because Hillsborough County has a psychiatric crisis. I personally have been turned down by several doctors for anti-psychotic medication (medication which, among other things, prevents “screaming voices” which tell a person to do things) because they didn’t “feel comfortable” prescribing it for my psychotic depression yet they were fine with my having another psychotic break. I cannot get a psychiatric appointment until October – an appointment I had to schedule back in May and back in May, October was the earliest I could be seen, by a psychiatrist NOT on my insurance – none on my insurance are taking clients. My insurance company was not helpful and told me they could not guarantee I would be seen by someone who would treat me with any respect and not degrade me as a human being.

I feel like this is important, with all these killings that the public know this is going on. Everyone is calling for more, and better, mental health care – and for something to be done with “these people” (of which I am one) but when one of “us” tries to get help, we are turned away. And when we are mistreated, our grievances go unheard or disregarded.

These things will continue to happen until Hillsborough County, Florida, and this nation as a whole make some serious changes to how mental health, and mental illness, is addressed.

Sincerely,

Annie, Tampa

Have an opinion to share? Email your letter to the editor to Sherri.Lonon@patch.com.

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