By Rebecca Brendel | Cosmologics | July 29, 2015
Very early in my training, a middle-aged mother of two school-age children was referred to me for psychiatric care. In the past, she had struggled with periods of depressed mood, but she had never sought treatment. She came to me after, as she described it, her husband had “dropped her off” at the hospital and she was sent to me.
“Why would your husband do such a thing?” I asked her, trying to understand more about what had happened.
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“Perhaps we can figure it out together?” I suggested, feebly trying to establish rapport.
“The only thing you can do is tell them all that there is nothing wrong with me. I don’t need medication. I don’t need you. I just want to go home to my kids and never come back here again.” Continue reading »
For many, jails are the only place to access mental health care, but once inside, the conditions of prison life may exacerbate mental illness and reduce the likelihood of rehabilitation. Mentally ill people should have access to care in prison, and advocacy for mental health care should extend beyond the concerns of prison conditions.
