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It is often tempting in the wake of stories like the Virginia Tech massacre to think we should start forcing the issue of treatment for the mentally ill, even with no indication they are an 'imminent threat'. However, this is a step that must be considered carefully and not made out of angst over current news.

Yes, sometimes things go wrong, even with mentally ill people who have never caused harm to anyone before, but the majority of them do not harm anyone but themselves. How do you decide who needs treatment and who does not? Who decides what kind of treatment we must force on them? How can we expect them to progress if they are forced to get treatment?

Another danger in this kind of action is the danger to those who are considered mentally ill in taking away their freedoms. What's next? Should we take away the freedoms of everyone we fear? I can foresee that a law like this would see many innocent people locked in mental wards for treatment they did not ask for. And with all the anger and negative verbiage about Christianity and religion any more, who's to say I will not be locked up for believing in Jesus Christ?

There is no line to draw that would clearly delineate those that should be forced into treatment and those who do not, if you include those that are not an "imminent threat". It would be nice if all people suffering from a mental illness were given treatment, but in the end, it is their right to refuse if they are not causing harm.

This topic is also driven by society's fear of and ignorance about 'mental illness'. If you have ever suffered from depression for more than a couple weeks, if you have ever been anxious for extended periods seemingly without cause, if you suffer from a phobia, you are mentally ill! Are you a danger? Probably not, you just have a problem that falls under 'mental illness'. When we look at the mentally ill, we often see those who are psychotic, portrayed on Television and Movies as dangerous. But mental illness is so much more than that.

Another issue is paying for this treatment. You can't force that many people into treatment and expect them all to have insurance. This is especially true of the ones who may become dangerous. The solution, right or wrong, would be 'federal funding' and more taxes for you and I in the hopes of 'catching' someone before they become dangerous.

In all, I think there should be some standards in place for reporting when you feel someone 'may' have a problem, but to require people to get treatment for no apparent reason is to take away the freedoms of a lot of people since the majority of the mental ill do not fall into the 'psychotic' category. So, I vote no! If you have proof they are dangerous, maybe, but jumping at shadows and forcing people to get treatment when there is absolutely no evidence would be wrong.

Learn more about this author, Angela S. Young.
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