Media Sell the Mentally Ill as Violent Criminals. Truth Is, They’re Not.

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[sourcescience]

This video fails to mention that the mentally ill are far more likely to be the victims of violent crime than they are to commit one, and suffer more violence, stigma and discrimination, both criminal and state sponsored than the average person.

[Phoenix-pbsm]

Calling certain people evil is alot simpler than finding the real reason People hate complex reasons for things

[blue_tetris]

People conflate fear with risk. So a high profile and frightening event (like a plane crash) seems like a more likely than a low profile event (like a car crash) which is equally fatal and extraordinarily more likely.

The same holds true of violent crimes and the people who commit them: Because mentally-ill people committing crimes is more highly reported and is sensationalized in a way that induces fear, these crimes are perceived as more likely or more harmful. In truth, they are neither more likely nor more dangerous to be involved in.

Violent crimes are committed for reasons of passion, profit, and pathology. We are learning how to prevent the pathological factors that lead to violent crimes committed by the mentally-ill, as rapidly as we are treating mental illnesses themselves. A crime committed for profit or for passion is another story altogether, and should perhaps be more frightening to us as a culture.

[mistersmith]

Many people are under the mistaken belief that anger is a form of 'mental illness'.

[GunSam]

One thing that is never taken into account, is that even the small percentage of people with mental illness that do act out violently, there is no way to know whether the mental illness made them do it, or if they did what they did for the same reasons that anyone other violent person would, but they just happen to posses a mental illness as well. Something to think about!

[SCWoodbury]

I don't discriminate. I think all humans are dangerous. We're unpredictable creatures. I think we're just evolved bacteria with brains. And we use these brains mostly to manipulate and exploit to get what we want and need. We can also be vicious at times. I think sadly in America we don't know how to efficiently deal with mental health issues. We spend billions on diet pills and exercise remedies to look and feel good. We have no problem talking about our physical health problems. But when it comes to mental illness or mental health, we're not good at talking about these things or facing the reality of these issues.

[eastbaysf]

I have Aspergers and have always been picked on by other women as weird.. and have been fired from dozens of jobs for not "fitting in" but I was doing my job just fine.. so its  not just that you need to be able to be good at your job its that other you work with must love you... stupid but true.

[mescalinemonkey]

there is very little difference between phorensic hospital and a prison system the difference being you have more rights in a normal prison.

[ajtronic]

I am anxious for my clinical rotation at a psychiatric institution... I'm not sure what to expect.

[TheRiddler]

I think this applies to drug users as well. As far as the treatment goes. WIth drugs like heroin, much to often they are incarcerated, don't really benefit from the experience, and end up back on the street with nothing else to do but go back to drugs. We need to provide better care for these persons as well.

[nathanpen]

You can spend life in a forensic hospital for a crime that you may have only got a year in jail for. One flew over the cuckoo's nest anyone?

[mountedczarina]

So that's why Batman doesn't kill the joker.

[SmooshifyIsReal]

Sorry what?? "If it's your first rape and your young..." Stop them from raping a 2nd or god freaking forbid a 3rd time!!

[Mariomario-gtoy]

And here come the people who think they are professional psychologists after they see a video that doesn't agree with their preconceived notions

[coloursoftherainbow]

Can they keep someone for years who has not committed a violent crime?

[laurieberry]

Take care of yourself. Stay away from toxic relationships. Leave people who try to force guilt on you because that is abnormal for your family to try to convince you that you are subhuman and not deserving respect.

[KhaledTheSaudiHawkII]

Those awkward laughs and hand gestures tho

[FourthRoot]

I think you have to have a powerful and deep seeded aversion to violence in general in order to be considered mentally healthy. I am not saying that violent people are any more or less prone to suffer from other mental ailments. I am saying that we should consider a propensity for violence to be a mental affliction in itself and treated as such.

[Crouchy]

A mentallist killed 2 people with a sword? On a boat? These mentallists need to bahahyyttrd plod

[christopheramodeo]

while it is true that not all mentally ill people are violent, truth is some are. depending on what illness and the severity of the illness. also if the person is on the right meds or if compliant with taking the meds.sadly due to rauner a lot of people lack the means to get care.this is why things like aurora, sandyhook, columbine and other tragic events happen.