And not only....

this sort of thing can happen when a family who is already aware that a youngster has a severe disturbance, simply does not provide a protective environment when one is needed, bothfor the person who is ill and for others around that person. some are lucky... things do not degrade suddenly, and nothing happens... until the day Lady Luck turns away.

it has nothing to do with ones abilities to handle illness either, strength or weakness. A protective environment is so important to prevent harm to any- and everyone in such situations. it is the first step. not medication or anything else. a protective environment - safety - is the first thing that needs to be ensured. ideally a protective psychiatric environment allows for the application of whatever inner resources the person might have, as well as - if necessary and authorized - medication.

it both saddens and angers me when those who are aware of a youngster being in a severely disturbed state do not seek a protective environment. it is simply common sense. However, it also makes me wonder about the mental health facilities available, and to what degree any of these will work with younsters who need, most of all, a protective and reassuring environment, without stripping them of dignity, the support of family, or making medication a "necessary" prerequisite for admission... whereupon the person is simply "fixed up" rather than truly helped to cope and worked with.

I am not going to read the article because the local news here literally *feeds* (NO pun intended) on this kind of stuff... and i "happen" to hear enough news already to hear more than i even want to.

here there is still a huge stigma with mental illness... i figure a lot of what happens similar to this article has to do with undiagnosed or "denied" and untreated illness.