Title: The Problem With Blaming Mass Shootings On Mental Illness
Headings: The Problem With Blaming Mass Shootings On Mental Illness
The Problem With Blaming Mass Shootings On Mental Illness
Helping people with mental illness requires thoughtful responses, not stereotyping.
Addressing Mental Illness Won’t Prevent Mass Shootings
Mentally Ill People Can Recover
Either Mentally Ill People Are Responsible Or They Aren’t
Making People Dependent Reduces Hope for Recovery

Content: We’re now learning something different. About two-thirds of people with serious, disabling mental illness can actually recover. These statistics apply to people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, etc. Recovery takes two forms: the first is a full, clinical recovery in which the person will never experience another symptom of his illness; the second is when a person learns to live a safe, dignified, and gratifying life in spite of his illness. Most mental health advocates believe in recovery but talk out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to crafting mental health policy. On the one side, they argue that people with mental illnesses are responsible individuals fully capable of living a life in their own home, working in a job they enjoy, surrounded by family and friends—unless there’s a good reason they shouldn’t, like they’ve committed a crime or threaten imminent danger to their self or others. But if not, they should be treated just like other “responsible” people because they are in fact responsible. At the same time, advocates also argue that government benefits, programs, and funding should be devoted to ensuring the above-described standard of living despite irresponsible decision-making on the part of people with a mental illness, as though they can’t be held responsible for bad decisions.