Aliens have abducted my brother...

...OK, so maybe not "aliens" she explained to me, but at least Federal Agents....

These are the type of people I deal with day in, day out! A lady came into my office and she seriously thought that aliens (or Federal Agents) had abducted her brother and put an impostor in his place. Now really if you thought this would your first inclination be to go to your Federal government official to report it? I get this stuff every day...without fail.

I become more and more convinced daily of our need to put serious effort into making our mental health care system more accessible to those in need. Instead, we close our facilities and shove people in dark corners with a stigma assigned to their illness that prevents them from being a functioning part of our society. This is not treating the problem...it's perpetuating it. Mental illness is the root of so many problems in our city, state, and nation. Crime, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse...in so many cases this has it's root in mental illness. (Disclaimer: I am in no way saying that a person is not responsible for their crimes or actions if they are mentally ill. I'm saying they need help.)

Until then...until we seriously put some teeth into our mental health system, I'll continue to live my life surrounded by nuts. Specifically those who think aliens have abducted their brothers, or whose computers are trying to kill them, or whose home has been infiltrated by the CIA and cameras placed in all the light bulbs....

(And yes, all three of this situations are things I have dealt with in recent months!)