The Mental Health Court: A Personal Response

I personally feel that the Nova Scotia Government is taking a step in the right direction.

One of the symptoms of schizophrenia, which affects approximately 50% of the people with the illness, is that they do not have insight into their illness. The person does not believe that they are ill. As a result of this they will not seek treatment and will refuse treatment if it is offered to them.

When this is the case they are in a state of psychosis. Sometimes as a result of their psychosis they break the law. Some of the crimes are trivial and some of them are very serious.

The question is: If a person commits a crime as a result of their psychosis, are they responsible for that crime? Some say yes and there are some who say no. If a person, for example, is hearing voices from God telling him to commit a serious crime, and he really believes these voices and commits the crime, is he responsible? If the person is brought to trial and found guilty should he spend years in prison with hard core criminals? If a person is sent to prison he may not receive any treatment for his illness. He would have to live in prison and at the same time live in a state of psychosis. Does a person with schizophrenia deserve to suffer for years for a crime that was committed while in a state of psychosis? In my mind, no.

This is why we need a mental health court, to help those who commit crimes while in a state of psychosis and to see to it that they receive treatment for their illness. They are not criminals. They do not make that conscious decision while in their right minds. They deserve compassion and mercy. Once they get well then they will personally have to deal with what they have done.

I believe that this mental health court will determine whether someone was in a state of psychosis when the crime was committed and will see to it that the person will not be put in prison but will receive treatment for their illness. Hopefully, the treatment given to them will help them to recover from their illness and allow them to become productive members of society and live a life of meaning and purpose, perhaps even work and pay taxes. A recovering consumer can contribute much to society. If someone is put in prison for a crime committed in a state of psychosis it would definitely be a totally wasted life. The person might as well be dead. Living in prison in a state of psychosis would be a living death, physically alive but mentally and emotionally dead.

Mental health consumers need to be shown mercy, not punishment, when a crime is committed while in a state of psychosis.

N.S. mental health court to open in November

From CBCnews.ca

Nova Scotia's special court designed for people with mental illness who come into conflict with the law will open this fall.

The mental health court, to sit once a week in Dartmouth starting Nov. 2, will divert some people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment programs.

Attorney General and Justice Minister Ross Landry said the court will examine the accused and their illnesses, not just their alleged crimes.

To read more click on the link below

N.S. mental health court to open in November

Mental Health Court

The province's first court to help people with mental

health illnesses will open in Dartmouth on November 2nd.

The court was set up to help people who are in greater

need of counselling and treatment instead of being held in

custody or put in situations that may lead to confrontations.

Attorney General and Justice Minister Ross Landry says

the government is seeking new ways to help those offenders who

have mental health issues.

He says this court will look at the person and their

illness, not just their crime when it comes to administering

justice.

The court will sit one day a week at the provincial court

building.

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Media Contact: Sherri Aikenhead
Department of Justice
902-424-3313
E-mail: aikenhsl@gov.ns.ca

CAMH:About Mental Health and Addiction

About Mental Health and Addictions

This section will provide you with concise information about addictions and mental health issues. Whether you are an individual looking for a fact sheet on bipolar disorder, a parent concerned about drug use, or a service provider hoping to find resources in another language, you should find

To read more click on the link below

CAMH:About Mental Health and Addiction

Psychology | Biological Explanations of Schizophrenia - The dopamine hypothesis | Psychopathology | Individual Differences

The dopamine hypothesis suggests that dopamine over-activity causes schizophrenia. Dopamine over-activity could happen in one of the following ways:

To read more click on the link below.

Psychology | Biological Explanations of Schizophrenia - The dopamine hypothesis | Psychopathology | Individual Differences

Schizophrenia Treatment - Medications

Here is the link to Psych Central. This is an excellent site giving information on mental illness. The particular link below is an article on treatment for schizophrenia beginning with medication. There are two more parts to the treatment section. I think that you will find this site a good read and very informative.

Schizophrenia Treatment - Medications

CPA - Canadian Psychiatric Association / APC - l'Association des psychiatres du Canada

Here is the link to the official site of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. You will find a lot of good information concerning psychiatry. If you check out this site I don't think that you will be disappointed.

CPA - Canadian Psychiatric Association / APC - l'Association des psychiatres du Canada

Subject Matter

Since I have started this blog I have written 113 articles. I am running out of things to write about. I haven't written much on my blogs lately. I have been having writers block. I just cannot think of anything to write about. I do not just have this blog to write for. I have several blogs. I try to write most of my articles on recovery. Recovery is truly possible. I suffered for over 20 years from long term chronic mental illness. Since I went to the Beacon Unit at the rehab in Waterville I have been recovering. Dr. Muhall found the right medication. The medication I am on now works. Plus I received psycho-social treatments while living on the Beacon Unit. Another part of my recovery is my spiritual beliefs. Even though I have received much help from the mental health profession I personally believe that 99% of my recovery I had to figure out for myself. My recovery is due to much hard work on my part. I am the one responsible for my recovery, not other people. I can have guidance and direction from others but I am the one that has to do all the hard work to recover. We cannot depend on others for our recovery. We can only depend on ourselves. If we depend on others for our recovery we will not recover. In order to recover it takes determination, motivation, and discipline on our part. Even though I have been in recovery for almost 10 years I still need to work on it now and for the rest of my life. If I stop working on my recovery I will probably have a relapse. It is a continual battle until the day that I pass on from this life. I am engaged in warfare. I am continually fighting for my recovery. If I stop fighting then I will stop recovering. The battle for recovery will rage on until that day. It is a never ending war. I am prepared to continue the battle because I do not want to go back to that living hell again. Living in psychosis and suffering from the negative symptoms is a living hell. I have been living in that hell for many many years. I can say gratefully that the hell is over. I have climbed out of that awful pit and out into the sunshine. I am living above ground now. I just hope that those of you who have a mental illness will find the precious gift of recovery. If I can find recovery I think that almost anyone can. Although for some recovery is never possible. There is a certain percentage of those with mental illness who will never recover regardless of what kind of treatment they receive. I just hope that you will be one of the ones that will recover. If you want to recover be prepared to engage in a terrible war. The battle is hard and difficult. If a person never gives up and continues to fight victory is truly possible. Be a good soldier and fight for that precious gift of recovery. My heart goes out to you. Have FAITH, HOPE, AND COURAGE and seek after recovery with your whole being. You just might get lucky and find it.