patrick.net

There are still state run mental hospitals in California but only for criminals.

https://www.dsh.ca.gov/Patton/index.html

As to why the others closed, it was due to court rulings in the 1970’s. Lefties and Democrats have been propagandized too believe that it was Reagan that closed them. While technically true, Reagan was simply following court order. It’s another set of revisionist history the Democrats have put out there so frequently, it becomes the truth.

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2019/03/hard-truths-about-deinstitutionalization-then-and-now/

The other false lie is that this somehow caused the doubling to tripling of the homeless in large cities on the west coast. This is a viscous lie perpetuated by those that desire state funded housing for everyone. The truth is while Bill Brattons broken windows theory was followed by law enforcement agencies in the early 2000’s and made life more difficult for the homeless, causing them to move on or actually seek treatment, around 2012 mayors in esp LA and SF began ordering their police not to enforce quality of life laws..Chief Beck and then Chief Moore in LA and George Gascon as Chief and then DA in SF. And wow, the homeless population more than doubled in about an 8 year span.

I've posted this a few times, but with a very liberal Feinstein replacement, Art Agnos, as mayor of SF, homelessness exploded. Although it is terrible now, back in the late '80's there were very tolerated homeless camps adjacent to city hall and the plaza across the street. Market Street was littered with homeless and agressive panhandlers. Toursim was negatively affected. Finally, merchants had enough and a former chief of police, Frank Jordan, replaced Agnos. Somehow the homeless then disappeared.

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

I've posted this a few times, but with a very liberal Feinstein replacement, Art Agnos, as mayor of SF, homelessness exploded. Although it is terrible now, back in the late '80's there were very tolerated homeless camps adjacent to city hall and the plaza across the street. Market Street was littered with homeless and agressive panhandlers. Toursim was negatively affected. Finally, merchants had enough and a former chief of police, Frank Jordan, replaced Agnos. Somehow the homeless then disappeared.

As far as law enforcement goes, it’s all about how much someone can stand being hassled before they decide they need to move on or they need to seek treatment and or help.

When you remove that element, the homeless have no incentive to move one. People say shit like “oh I don’t see how someone can stand to live like that”, irrationally believing that someone else sees life they way they do. That’s not the case and I guarantee that being homeless may not be the bottom for a drug or alcohol addict.

there was this movie… one who flew over the coocoos nest… some like that. really killed idea of mental institutions because of how feds could politically abuse it.

I know a guy who's been in and out of these places. When he's on his meds he's a chill dude to hang out with and I enjoy his company. But when he thinks he's "better" and goes off his meds, a circuit snaps and he ends up right back where he was. Paranoid. Delusional. Angry at the world.

It's a tough situation. Mental illness is a real issue in this country. It's probably more talked about than it used to be, but there is still a "go it alone" mentality that many of us have. The downside of the American rugged individualism I suppose.

I do think that we need to revisit the purpose and use of institutions to help combat the mryaid of ills (homelessness, drug use, crime, etc.) that evolve from people being allowed to suffer through their demons unfettered.

But as with most things who controls the gates? I would exactly trust the government to take that decision as to who should or shouldn't be institutionalized. Doctors and nurses are the most logical arbiters, but even they can be influenced by the potential for personal profit at the expense of others.

WineHorror1 says

Who ended all of the mental hospitals and why?

JFK when he signed his last piece of legislation on 10/31/63, The Community Mental Health Act, got the ball rolling. He and his family were doing penance for their father Joe, Sr. who had had their mentally disturbed oldest sister Rosemary lobotomized in 1941 before she got herself pregnant by some good for nothing and brought shame on the family. She was the prettiest of the Kennedy girls and they tried to keep a short leash on her, but as she got into her 20's she would sometimes go out on her own and it was only a matter of time before disaster. The lobotomy was a failure and totally destroyed her mind. She had to be hospitalized for the rest of her life until her death in 2005. It was the biggest blot on the Kenned family name and caused them more trauma even than JFK's assassination. It's ironic that the word "Community" is part of the name because the Federal government took over control of mental hospitals from the states. The idea was to have community housing where former patients could live and receive their medication until they "got back on their feet". This never materialized and as mentioned before, the ever expanding infatuation with rights stymied society from having a modicum of control over their behavior. That's why law enforcement usually wound of being the default encounter that brought them under control. Law enforcement hadn't signed up to render psychiatric treatment and many times tragedies occurred. Fifty or 60 years ago, maybe 1% of jail inmates were mentally ill, today it's over 10%.

WineHorror1 says

Whatever happened to mental hospitals?

They made them open source and called them Democrats, silly.

WineHorror1 says

Who ended all of the mental hospitals and why?

California passed the LPS bill, named after the abbreviation of the two leftists and one cheapskate Republican who sponsored it - and yes Reagan signed it. In June 1973, all the inmates were released from Cali's prisons onto the street. Those assigned to halfway homes seldom stayed one night before refusing the Alien-Illuminati Control pills and instead looking for alcohol to kill the voices. A single Social Justice Worker is unable to monitor and control the coming and going of Schizos in a halfway house - unlike a controlled large facility with orderlies and security guards, fences and doors.

The Far Left, working with RINO Cheapskates, defunded all the mental hospitals and greatly limited the ability of Law Enforcement to forcibly hospitalize people. Most states cannot hold somebody more than 72 hours every so many months or even years for ANY reason. Even voices telling them to Kill, Kill, Kill.

That is why nutjobs who kill are very well known to the authorities, but without a crime, there is literally nothing they can do beyond the 72.

DooDahMan says

Involuntary commitment can also be used for drug/alcohol abuse etc.

Not true unless it involves violence. The abuse of a drug or booze and functioning without hitting your wife or kids is totally legal. Alcohol and drugs are bad, but I know plenty of people that function just fine and don't hurt anyone. I don't condone it, but it's not a situation for involuntary commitment. People, even those you consider friends are doing tons of shit you have no clue of. Drugs, booze and other activities that are illegal.

I just went through this with my BIL. He still had to sign paperwork and agree to go. His problem was he didn't know the problem. He did two inpatient stints in rehab for booze. Got sober and was right back at it 2-3 days out. He had a choice if he went or not. Was trying to save the marriage with my sister. He's dead now.

If one hasn't experienced mental illness first hand, they really shouldn't talk about it. As a Libertarian leaning person, forced institutionalization makes my skin crawl. BUT, certain people need it. If you've experiences a death at a younger age, you know it when you see it. I've got a hanging and death by alcohol on my body count. One you wouldn't have known necessarily, the other eventually became obvious and should have been locked up for a year or two and had treatment and "maybe" would have come out "cured" so to speak.

It's why I take little to nothing from big Pharma. Even OTC pills. They want you to mask your problems so you keep having them and they keep making the $$$$. If I'm hurting the morning after a bachelor party, I just take the pain or headache I deserve. Pretty sure I tore something in my shoulder. I'm in constant pain but manageable. Taking it easy for two weeks and if it doesn't feel better I'll go to the doc. Then they'll say I need a surgery and then that one didn't go well and they need to get back in. Rinse and repeat. Our medical field is 100% business and has no interest in making you well.