Imprisoned Mind & Body

Mental illness can be a baffling agent of pain as the sufferer becomes enslaved to a seemingly endless cycle of confusion, bewilderment and unpredictable chaos. Left untreated, mental illness may very well lead the sufferer to forms of self-medicating that can ultimately create substance abuse and chronic alcoholism issues. Once this dichotomy of diversion takes hold, the mentally ill individual can find themselves in what seems to be a no-win situation--from which without professional help, they may never be able to escape. According to a presentation from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 89.3% of inmates in North Carolina have this dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse. Not only is this statistic staggering, it prompts some disturbing questions about our health care system, and society as a whole. Whether for or against our country's implemented prison system one cannot consider the fact that so many criminal offenders suffer from severe mental illness to be incidental. If it is obvious that mental illness and substance abuse greatly contribute to crime, it must also be obvious that the prison system as a whole has proven unsuccessful in improving upon the situation, for repeat offenders continuously cast their shadow upon the slamming gate only to have it swing wide once again, exposing them to a world they are ill-equipped to live in.
     So whose responsible anyway? Should our prison system be striving to improve the lives of those who have broken the very rules that govern us and keep us safe? Do these offenders deserve therapeutic treatment, especially after they have committed violent crimes? Should worthiness even be a factor when considering some of the terrible crimes committed against humanity that we face today? Obviously these are difficult, loaded questions that can divide us along harsh lines of core convictions and political beliefs. But at this point does is really matter which came first--the hen or the egg? Obviously lacking a successful system to aid in the recovery from mental illness and substance abuse has taken its toll as our prisons are overpopulated and bursting at the seams. Ignoring the issue--locking it away so to speak--has only hindered us. When an individual commits a crime they should be reprimanded accordingly. But society needs to be better than the individual--our survival demands it. Therefore, let us look to a solution-oriented approach that can change the course of our evolution as human concerns go.
     Hearing the above statistic and listening to our NAMI speaker share about his own personal experience with these issues struck me in a profound way for as an occupational therapy student, I am striving to navigate my way through a health care system that has a lot to teach me and a lot to learn itself. From implementing segregation to not providing much needed medication, the prison system could use some guidance and support from our health care system. I am expecting to encounter a wide-range of mental health issues in my future career as I will be treating the whole person with all of the challenges that prevent them from daily functioning. If anything I have learned that I will need to be patient, empathetic, and persistent when working with clients suffering from mental illness. Due to the nature of the combination of mental illness and substance abuse, the sufferer needs a solid network of support to succeed. This network can be made up of the different components of the health care system, family, friends, 12-step support groups, and possibly, a better educated prison system that's given the guidance it needs to contribute to a prevention based strategy towards repeat offenders. For more information on mental illness in prisons please visit www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums/etc/faqs.html.