KENDRA'S LAW: WHY I SUPPORT IT

In 1999 a screenwriter by the name of Kendra Webdale was murdered by a homeless man suffering from schizophrenia. The man pushed the 30 year old in front of a subway train in Manhattan.

Kendra’s Law law, inacted in her honor, gives judges in NYC the power to compel people with serious mental illness to take their meds and/or to undergo supervised psychiatric treatment.

Most of these individuals suffer from some of the worst type of mental illness - schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, although all forms of mental illness are horrible, especially if you're the one suffering from it.

Some critics of this law argue that it takes away an individuals civil rights. Proponents, like myself see the law as a step in the right direction for sufferers of mental illness. Which ever argument you side with, everyone knows that mental illness has become a more prevalent issue these days. With Mental Illness month every May, more attention has been brought to this big problem our country has been facing. Little by little the stigma of that dirty word "mental illness" has begun to erode. We are far from achieving success in coming out of the mental illness closet, but at least we are headed in the right direction in putting an end to the stain of that word. Words like crazy and insane can one day perhaps be replaced with more gentle ones like disability and mental illness.

You see, I suffer from bipolar disorder. I have been admitted to a psychiatric ward on several occasions; one time involuntarily and the other two I went under my own volition. Fortunately for me I have a great support system and good medical insurance.

The individuals who qualify for treatment under Kendra's Law are generally those with no support system, no medical insurance, and more often than not, they are homeless.

Studies have found that some people with mental illness often reject outpatient treatment offered to them by choice. Currently, the state has the right to hold someone for three days if they find that someone is a danger to themselves or others. After 72 they have to be released. But 72 hours is perhaps only enough time for someone to snap out of their current mental crisis. It doesn't address the need for long term care. Once they are released, without the proper supervision of a doctor and access to meds, these patients often relapse and experience more episodes of mental breakdown. It's a vicious cycle.

These are also the people who have the highest risk to attempt and succeed at suicide. Without a support system in place, they are more likely to commit crimes, which not only affects them but also places a burden on the criminal justice system and places society in grave danger.

MOST people with mental illness are not dangerous. In fact, they are more likely to be victims of crime than being the perpetrators of it. In most cases these individuals go without access to medications and mental health professionals.

Personally, I don't know where I would be if I didn't have my anti-depressants, mood stabilizers, and a psychiatrist. I'm one of the lucky ones. I have parents who love and support me. I have a wife who herself suffers from a disability and can sympathize with my situation. And I have friends who know of my struggles and are often good listeners, allowing me to vent and get stuff off my chest.

In my opinion, a person with a mental illness needs several things in order to SURVIVE and be a productive member of society. One, we need meds. Two, we need doctors. Three, we need family and friends. And finally, we need hope. Without that ingredients, it's damn hard to make it on ones own.

For more information on Kendra's Law, you can visit:

https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/component/content/article/2651