Imagine walking through the streets of big, beautiful cities such as Chicago, New York City, Detroit, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. All of the bright lights, the tall buildings, and the chaotic masses of people are somehow attracting. Now imagine the unattractive characteristics of the cities. The homeless men and women lurking on the sidewalks, distinguished as helpless. Since talk of the homeless is extremely minimal, many are unknowledgable on the fact that many are mentally ill, and lack the treatment needed to prosper and gain economic stability, causing them to be homeless. During the 1960’s, thousands of severely mentally ill patients living in psychiatric hospitals were released, mostly to the streets, which is known as deinstitutionalization.
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Since more than 90% of psychiatric hospital bed that existed in 1960 are now gone, state's haven't taken the opportunity to treat the severely mentally ill. Involuntary commitment is the process in which someone with a mental illness can be forced against their will into a psychiatric hospital or institution. Though each state has a different law according to the process, they all have the same general idea. For example, in Maine, the law states that if a person with a mental illness poses a threat to themselves or another person, they can be forced in a psychiatric hospital against their will. This process can also involve assistance from the police. Some perceive involuntary commitment as invalid. "Is there any evidence that persons with mental illness are actually more dangerous to others than random members of the general public?" says Alicia Curtis, psychiatric social worker. With societies humanitarian obligation to not degrade these citizens, the courts need to make the decision to base involuntary commitment on helplessness, rather than solely …show more content…
Deinstitutionalization was the result of egocentric viewpoints, and the lack of humanitarianism. As a nation humanitarianism is a central belief, and many people have overlooked that when it comes to addressing the mentally ill as dangerous rather than helpless. By seeing them only as dangerous, people fail to notice that these people pose a threat to public safety solely because of they lack the hospitalization they need and should be ensured. Involuntary commitment can easily be viewed as necessary because without it, danger is extremely perceptible. The reason why some find involuntary commitment to be unacceptable and inhumane due to the means of the mentally ill receiving their treatment such as police involvement and being taken into custody. Statistics show that each year approximately 1,000 people in the United States are murdered by severely mentally ill who aren't receiving treatment. These murders add up to being about five percent of all homicides nationwide. Ultimately, this leads back to being an effect of deinstitutionalization. This isn't safe for the people of the United States to be fearful of those who were thrown into the streets, or those with no place to go and the inability to find some place to go. People are fearing, especially in big cities such as New York where homelessness is a major issue, that "from out of the chaos some maniac will emerge
Since more than 90% of psychiatric hospital bed that existed in 1960 are now gone, state's haven't taken the opportunity to treat the severely mentally ill. Involuntary commitment is the process in which someone with a mental illness can be forced against their will into a psychiatric hospital or institution. Though each state has a different law according to the process, they all have the same general idea. For example, in Maine, the law states that if a person with a mental illness poses a threat to themselves or another person, they can be forced in a psychiatric hospital against their will. This process can also involve assistance from the police. Some perceive involuntary commitment as invalid. "Is there any evidence that persons with mental illness are actually more dangerous to others than random members of the general public?" says Alicia Curtis, psychiatric social worker. With societies humanitarian obligation to not degrade these citizens, the courts need to make the decision to base involuntary commitment on helplessness, rather than solely …show more content…
Deinstitutionalization was the result of egocentric viewpoints, and the lack of humanitarianism. As a nation humanitarianism is a central belief, and many people have overlooked that when it comes to addressing the mentally ill as dangerous rather than helpless. By seeing them only as dangerous, people fail to notice that these people pose a threat to public safety solely because of they lack the hospitalization they need and should be ensured. Involuntary commitment can easily be viewed as necessary because without it, danger is extremely perceptible. The reason why some find involuntary commitment to be unacceptable and inhumane due to the means of the mentally ill receiving their treatment such as police involvement and being taken into custody. Statistics show that each year approximately 1,000 people in the United States are murdered by severely mentally ill who aren't receiving treatment. These murders add up to being about five percent of all homicides nationwide. Ultimately, this leads back to being an effect of deinstitutionalization. This isn't safe for the people of the United States to be fearful of those who were thrown into the streets, or those with no place to go and the inability to find some place to go. People are fearing, especially in big cities such as New York where homelessness is a major issue, that "from out of the chaos some maniac will emerge