Greetings Arildaha When you think about it, in some ways mental healing and physical healing are very much alike. They both cause you to experience the pain and once you get past the pain part you can begin to heal. This sharing experience happening here leaves the message of hope and healing for all who find these pages and these friends. Thank you so much for continuing to contribute to our forum. Sincerly,Bill

Dear Bill, You are a wonderful person with a heart as big as the world. I can honestly say I have no idea what I would have done. I know deep in my heart you did the right thing. Please never think differently. You have a beautiful prayer for her. And you know The Creator will comfort you both in this time. I do know mental illness is real...and it is scary. My one adopted Daughter (the one you talked to New Years Eve and Day)... she is bipolor, Depressed, used to be a cutter, and the list goes on. But I love her endlessly. She is a wonderful kid, but my soul she is self destructive. I am the ONLY person she will talk to and listen to. I cry many times with her. But she is getting her help she needs and I am anxious to see how she grows up. I do worry though. Also.. I used to be a cutter... at first the first cut hurt, but the more I cut into myself the pain went numb and felt so good. I did small cuts into my legs at age 13. Yeah I was a messed up kid, anorexic at age 12, cutting at 13, bulimic age 17. I am over my cutting stages and still fighing my eating disorders. But I know once the storms in my life are calm...all will be fine. Bill, thank you for this wonderful forum and allowing us to share with you. And you know you are never alone... there are people here in adland who do love you and want the best in life for you. And also... there are people in adland who are your true friends who support you just as much as you support them. Be well my Dear Friend Love to all (Smiles) Ally

Greetings Friends There is nothing easy about dealing with mental illness but with budget cuts, stigma and the lack of training for many who are first line responders to mental health crises situations, things are getting even harder. The following is a list of statistics that show just what a mess our mental health system is in. We all need to do all we can to bring about the much needed change to our mental health system. Write to your political leaders and let them know how you feel and make them understand that if they can't bring about the nessesary changes, you will vote for someone who will. MENTALLY ILL AND LAW As psychiatric hospitals close their doors and states cut their mental health care budgets, more of the front-line contact with people with mental illness is falling on police, the courts and the nation's prisons. Some facts about law enforcement and the mentally ill: •People with mental illnesses are four times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than the rest of the population. •Law enforcement officers are more likely to be killed by a person with mental illness than by other assailants, including those who had a prior arrest for assaulting police or resisting arrest. •In larger U.S. cities, about 7 percent of all police contacts involve a person with a mental illness. •There are three times as many people with mental illness in U.S. prisons than in psychiatric hospitals. •One out of every six people imprisoned in the United States has a severe mental illness. •People with mental illness are three times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the rest of the population. Sources: Criminal Justice Mental Health Consensus Project. American Psychiatric Association. Mental Health And Political Forums http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=10129 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=9637 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8212 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=7420 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8259 Lifetime web building and hosting for under $40. One time payment http://www.superpayline.com/p002859 The most advanced VOIP system there is anywhere. https://wv0079721.betteruniverse.com/members/index.php?action=buy_miphone Better Universe. The People Helping People Company http://wv0079721.betteruniverse.com May a smile follow you to sleep each night, and be there waiting when you awaken. SIncerly, Bill Vanderbilt / Fanbelt

A lot of people don't know this, but when I was 19 I signed up for the army reserves. I had never had any problems other than occassional "nervousness" and never dreamed that I would wake up in a mental hospital. But I got sick physically while in AIT and was given an opium derivative called GI Gin and it set something off and they found me wandering around the base and I woke up strapped down and they shot me full of thorazine and knocked me back out. I only remember riding in a military cab one minute and the next minute I was waking up in restraints, and I still don't remember what brought me there. Later I had my first son and when he was two weeks old I had post partum depression that turned into psychosis. I imagined that he was sick and knowing that an ambulance cost too much, I called the police to take us to the hospital. When they realized that my state of mind wasn't good, they took my baby and wouldn't let me see him. I was then taken to my grandparent's house and they took me to the state mental hospital. My son was taken into temporary custody by my aunt and uncle. I was already married when I went into the military but had been seperated for years. I met another man in the hospital and because of my low self esteem and my need for someone to be a "father figure" to me, I married this man. He was a con artist and had me believing that he had paid for my divorce and it wasn't true. He was very abusive and beat me pretty much on a daily basis. My only escape was going to school. I was studying to be a medical administrative assistant and hoped to be able to get out of this situation and have my own place. Then I met my late husband, David. He helped me to get away from this man and got my divorce taken care of and helped me to prove that my second marriage wasn't valid. Then we married after living together for three years and having our first daughter. Everything went fine for a while, but then he started using the fact that I had a record of mental problems against me. When things didn't go his way, (back then it was a law) he would go to the county attorney's office and file a mental warrent on me. Most of the time it was because I would fight with him over the way he treated our children. I would be fast asleep sometimes and the police would come in the bedroom and handcuff me and take me out of the house and put me in the police car in front of my kids. Several times I went to jail for several days before they transported me to the state hospital. Then I'd be there for two months at a time, and they would medicate me to the point that I couldn't work or keep up with things that needed to be done at home. Finally they changed the law and no longer put you in jail if you were sick. They would just take you right to the local hospital and do an evaluation and if they didn't find that you were mentally ill they would take you back home. Finally I had enough of this and told my psychologist what had been going on and he told me that I just needed vitamins, a more structured environment and more stability. I have been drug free now for almost 15 years and my husband was no longer able to do this to me because they were onto him and wouldn't allow him to get warrents on me any more. I also found out through all the times I had children that with my boys there was a severe hormone imbalance that caused the post partum depression and psychosis, and with my girls I also had problems but not as severe as with the boys because the testosterone the boys put into my system gave me a sort of euphoric feeling that went away after their birth. Other problems also contributed, one was breastfeeding hormones and the other was endometriosis and pms so what helped me the most was having a complete hysterectomy. Now that I no longer have female organs and no longer have periods I have not had any problems. It's a miracle and I hope that other women will consider this as a good alternative to psychotropic meds for the rest of their life. I have had literrally no problems since having this done. Sincerely, Rebecca Beasley

Hello Rebecca Your story is a sad story about how our mental health system fails us and how the penal system is often used in place of it. While this is a very touching and sad story, what is even more sad is the fact that yours is a story told by many women every day, all over the world. Mental illness is very misunderstood and is often not treated properly or at all in many cases Rebecca, there is also a very positive side to your story here too. You have just offered a message of hope to anyone who happens across thiese pages. You have shown people that if you continue to seek answers and solutions, you will find them. I am so happy for you, that you have finally found the answers that you needed. It took many years of living in hell basically, to find your answers. Now, by sharing this with us, you have taken many years off of this same journey, for others who are in similar situations. Thank you so much for sharing this with us Rebecca. Today, you have touched someones heart and you have given them a message of hope that they could not have received from anyone else. Thank You For Your Message Of Hope Rebecca. May a smile follow you to sleep each night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and be there waiting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, when you awaken. Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt Mental Health And Political Forums http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8212 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=9637 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8259 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=13254 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=11791 Business Forums http://wv0079721.betteruniverse.com http://www.ourpowerforcedmatrix.com/team.php?UID=10561