Until we provide adequate services for mentally ill...

[trinityroyal]

...this sort of tragedy will continue to happen.

With difficult child starting to spout off lately that he feels like killing someone, I fear that one day this could be him.

It just breaks my heart

 

[goldenguru]

The article is rather vague. What was the diagnosis? Was the man high on drugs? Was robbery a motive?

Too often, stories like this unfold, and the press points out his mental health diagnosis. Sort of jumping the gun in my opinion.

 

[trinityroyal]

Sorry...I've been following this story for days. This is the latest update.

There is no diagnosis mentioned, just that the man had a long track record of mental illness, and violent activities.

The man's son was living with the family he murdered. Apparently, his motive was that if his son could not live with him, then he should not live anywhere. The man who just died in hospital was the half-brother of the murderer's son...they had the same mother.

I don't mean to offend or perpetuate stereotypes. My point was that, if this man had access to the right sort of treatment for whatever his diagnosis was, that he might never have got to the point of wanting to kill his son's guardians, and being killed by police in his turn.

I am so very frustrated with the lack of services for mental illness, and when I see this sort of story it just fuels my anger and sadness. None of this had to happen.

 

[goldenguru]

No offense taken.

When it is suggested that these murders were committed 'because' of a mental illness, then all mentally ill people are stigmatized once again.

Maybe his mental condition did play a part in the murders. Maybe it didn't. Maybe treatment would have prevented the murders. Maybe not.

There is already such serious misunderstanding and fear regarding mentally ill people, that this type of irresponsible reporting only throws gas on a fire in my opinion.

I too am frustrated by the lack of services for mental illness. Trust me - I'm VERY frustrated. But, to suggest causation between violent murders and (unsubstantiated) mental condition is perpetuating stereotypes.

 

[Jena]

Regardless of what it means or doesnt' at the end of the day it is a very sad story and there are so many out there like this. I agree 100% there aren't enough good doctors out there, there aren't enough facilities out there (that are good) to help ppl with mental illness issues whatever they may be.

I sit at nite sometimes and I read the posts and the frustration just boils over me that there aren't enough facilities out there, and that it seems as though the left hand and the right do not always know what their doing. That often their help hurts the parents with whom are trying to save or help their child.

it's just disgusting. it really is.

 

[susiestar]

Until EVERYONE has a much clearer idea of what mental illness really is we will see actions like this and stories that attribute all violent actions of this nature to "mental illness".

So very few people have any understanding of mental illness. and when anyone acts like this they are said to be mentally ill. The man who killed these people may have been able to avoid this kind of thing with proper treatment, or he may have made the choice to kill this family anyway.

Whether it is due to an illness or not, it was a choice. I am so sorry that family was destroyed. I am sorry the little boy is an orphan. I hope he grows up to be a kind and compassionate man who understands that not all mentally ill people act the way the killer did.

And I hope that someday soon we start educating EVERYONE about mental illness, and we start treating it more effectively. My prayers go out to the families involved.