Sad News

You've seen it, I'm sure.Woman Charged in Deaths of Her 3 Children (click) Mother Pleads Not Guilty to Killing Sons (click) The cry for help, but it's not that serious, after all, she's only hearing voices ....Sigh.

Yes, it is sad. But schizophrenia is very difficult to deal with. I would be cautious about placing blame.

She was on meds, went off them. Was a known schizophrenic in her family, but they didn't take her seriously?Nobody was watching the store?

---

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand

​

RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.

In the past, I have had problems with a student who was schizophrenic. The university police couldn't do anything with her. The student health service couldn't do anything with her. Nor could her parents. Or maybe they were watching, but helpless to do anything.

Doesn't this pretty much prove that we need to basically cram the meds down their throats to keep the rest of us safe?

I don't know the answer to that.In times past, they would have been institutionalized. If I remember, there was a court ruling that this violated their civil rights. I would expect that forced medication might be viewed similarly.

Institutionalization is still a viable option, at least on a temporary basis. The goal is always to return to society. Medication therapy can be court ordered and given forcably while in institution settings. Once back in society, possibly in a CBRF setting, resisting the court order results in a return to the institution.If the family had recognized, (or admitted) the symptoms they were seeing, she could have been taken on a 72-hour hold as a danger to herself or others. She would then have been evaluated by professionals and the stay lengthened if necessary.In my experience, family can be more in denial than the individual.

---

Asgara
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"select * from USERS where CLUE > 0http://asgarasworld.bravepages.com
http://perditionsgate.bravepages.com

What about a more permanent solution: gene therapy, based on stem cell research and the possible injection of DNA direct into cells deficient in producing the {brain} chemicals needed.We know it is an imbalance, we know the chemicals.

---

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand

​

RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.

Works for me hun, when can you get started?Medication therapy is a crock...the side effects of psychotropic drugs are horrendous. You tell people that what they are feeling or perceiving isn't "normal" and the options you give them make them sleep all day, or feel sick 24/7, or even worse, some have to be monitored closely due to the possibility of perminant liver damage or tardive dyskinesia (picture Joe Cocker^10>.Its sad when our only options are locking people away from society or making them unable to function in society.

---

Asgara
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"select * from USERS where CLUE > 0http://asgarasworld.bravepages.com
http://perditionsgate.bravepages.com

I'm not sure. Even so, I don't think we have much precise knowledge of the neural circuits and neural processes involved. That's what would be necessary to treat in the manner that you're suggesting.Like Asgara said, global neuropharmaceuticals have side-effects. You're pretty much dousing all the neural circuits involved with a certain neurotransmitter... I think.Ben

My mother was a paranoid schizophrenic. It's horrible. All they could do for her in those days was give her shock treatments. I don't know if they still do that or not.

I'm pretty sure they would, in severe cases. I know in severe cases of depression "electroshock therapy" is still used.Not that we really get how it works.Ben

It doesn't "work."

quote:

---

What about a more permanent solution: gene therapy, based on stem cell research and the possible injection of DNA direct into cells deficient in producing the {brain} chemicals needed.

​

We know it is an imbalance, we know the chemicals.

---

Allow me to suggest a reason for why the afflicted do not stay on medication.
Medication changes the person they know into someone they do not know.
Would your solution produce the same results?
When we finish considering all the considerations, will there be anyone left to be considered?

This is the problem of "personhood" ultimately, but when the "person" is disfunctional due to chemical imbalance (whether we know all about it yet or not) and when that "person" changes when chemical balance is restored, we have to ask which is the {real\proper\desired\etc} person - one who kills their own children?Do we as society get to make that decision? There will be many ethical questions involved in treatment, but it still has to be better than doing nothing.I'd rather it be left to the individual (if mentally competent) or the individual's family (if not mentally competent).This is not something that would alter the thinking of people that already have balanced systems, but would affect those that don't ... perhaps act more like a pacemaker.The problems with medications is that they are generic broadsides that flood the system with chemicals at fairly high doses to enxure a result. A genetic base treatement could be more {tailored\gradualistic}

---

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand

​

RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.