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Old Man Shadow's avatar

less reliance on pharmaceuticals, more reliance on faith-based approaches that restore purpose to people’s lives.

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Well, let me start by saying that the only person I ever seriously considered hurting was myself.

Let me also say that we have recently been through the trauma of depression almost claiming the life of a family member. They are fine now. On medication, in therapy. If I had not taken them to see a doctor when I did, they would be buried.

While I was going through this trauma, my spouse and I had to navigate the maze of insurance companies and in-network facilities and faciilties that did not have a bed available for a patient. So yes, more mental health facilities and beds and psychiatrists and nurses and medical assistants and patient advocates and support people are absolutely needed. There is a shortage. Government could help. Government could fucking really help more by giving us single payer health care so traumatized people don't have to fucking navigate the system to get help without worry about bankruptcy. Fuck you very much, Republican douchebags (and any conserva-Dems who vote against this shit).

So let's flash back 33 years or so to my own teenage years as a young Evangelical teen going to an Evangelical school and attending church 2-4 times a week because I was a true believer.

Jesus Christ... I like him very much, but he no help with major depression and suicidal thoughts.

You know what made my depression and suicidal thoughts worse? Assholes who told me that I just needed more Jesus and I would experience joy. Not to take away from any of you who can claim otherwise, but Jesus did not magic my depression away and no amount of prayer, bible reading, and church attendance could do it. No, I became convinced that I must have done something wrong because I didn't feel the joy I was promised despite all of my hardcore Jesusing. So telling me faith cures depression just added guilt to my depression which made it worse, you maybe good-intentioned, but utterly stupid motherfuckers who say shit like that.

You know what did help my depression? Drugs.

Drugs took me from suicidal to functional. Life is still not happy days and roses, but I go through it without thoughts of blowing my head off. So thank you, Science.

But still... fuck you insurance companies.

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PhoenixDogLover's avatar

Violent crime has risen?

Let's look at the data, shall we?

Assuming we are talking about the violent crime since the closure of psychiatric hospitals and asylums in the '80s, the relevant numbers are...

1990: 750 reported violent crimes per 100,000 population

2021: 395 violent crimes per 100,000

From this we must conclude that Vivek Ramaswamy is full of shit.

That is all.

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