Reporting a Mentally Unstable Person

[youngunz4life]

very well said uncle buck

though I have to disagree with your HIPPA opinion.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

But suppose you or I know of someone that is really off his rocker and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere good. How would you go about reporting him to get him the help he needs and, perhaps, keep him from obtaining a firearm?

Just because someone doesn't act the way you or I would act doesn't make them a raving lunatic. Your own handle on this forum describes you as "crazy", does it not?

I believe only family should make these kinds of decisions. They know the person, they know what is normal behavior for that person. If you really feel like you should intervene, contact the person's family and lay out your concerns in detail. Don't be surprised if you get a hostile reaction.

 

[briandg]

Okay, the system is broken or barely functional. How do we fix it?

NukemJim

I wouldn't say broken. It was never workable in the first place.

Destined to fail, and impossible to perfect within the limitations that we must put on it.

To make a system that would even stop a small percentage of truly dangerous "insane" people from getting guns is impossible. You're just going to have to take my word for it. We can't even keep guns out of the hands of felons.

I'll say it again, the best hope a really concerned person has of getting it done is to contact an upper ranking police official. This person will at least be able to check the "nutcase's" criminal records and other public records, and frankly, you will not be able to do any better.

Maybe call his mother? any sort of guardian? close relatives?

IIRC, Loughner was living at home. His parents knew he was off his meds. There is no doubt in my mind that his father was just as crazy. I also believe that they knew he was armed. When even his own parents don't block him from having a gun, when the guy is clearly as batty as carlsbad caverns,

What in the world could government do?

 

[kilimanjaro]

We are not mental health professionals. Most of us don't know the difference between a personality that doesn't deal with society and stress in a positive manner, and a truly dangerous wacko. It would be simpler to leave your car in front of his house with the keys in it, when he steals it, he's a felon, and has to surrender his firearms.

 

[Crazy88Fingers]

Just because someone doesn't act the way you or I would act doesn't make them a raving lunatic.

I know I'm not a doctor. My question was how do you get that person in front of a doctor. Or at least garner some attention from some sort of authority figure. As many have posted, this is a tricky topic because everyone is a little crazy. And the line gets blurry and hard to regulate from a legal standpoint.

 

[rialtas]

As a psychology student I'm really interested in this... in scotland it's quite hard to be deemed mentally incompetent or ''crazy'', generally psychosis can be described, often by 999 calls when the person speaks about aliens or people after them. however its generally deemed ' short term' or something that hopefully wont label the person for life.

From studying psychology for four years and working with mentally ill people I know it's quite ignorant to label people as it often stays.

To be on topic though, some one who is disturbed or depressed or a danger to ANY person should not have a gun, at least until they recover.

 

[Patriot86]

To be on topic though, some one who is disturbed or depressed or a danger to ANY person should not have a gun

Thats the problem there, anyone here who tells you or anyone else they have never been depressed is a liar. I get depressed when the Bears or the Gators lose a big game sometimes, when I don't get the big order I have been after, stuff like that. People get depressed if they get divorced, if a family member dies, a dog died, their car breaks down. It is a normal thing, Everyone is depressed sometimes but depression is one thing, chronic depression is another so lets be clear.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Thats the problem there, anyone here who tells you or anyone else they have never been depressed is a liar. I get depressed when the Bears or the Gators lose a big game sometimes, when I don't get the big order I have been after, stuff like that. People get depressed if they get divorced, if a family member dies, a dog died, their car breaks down. It is a normal thing, Everyone is depressed sometimes but depression is one thing, chronic depression is another so lets be clear.

Being sad over a football game is (normally) a long way from anything recognized as "depression" in a clinical sense. Depression is not normal sadness related to single events. We made use the words "I'm depressed" but normal sadness and or disappointment is not "depression". A good many people have never been "depressed".

To be on topic though, some one who is disturbed or depressed or a danger to ANY person should not have a gun, at least until they recover.

I disagree with including depression in this statement, as a generic term. There are several types of depression and being depressed doesn't define a person as being a danger to themselves or others.

I believe only family should make these kinds of decisions. They know the person, they know what is normal behavior for that person. If you really feel like you should intervene, contact the person's family and lay out your concerns in detail. Don't be surprised if you get a hostile reaction.

What if they're family is as crazy as they are? I know someone whose only familial interactions are with their mother and their mother is as "crazy" as they are. What family member will report them? I'm not kidding either. They're both insane. There have been restraining orders from this persons behavior, many calls to the police. They still have guns.

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There's a big difference between someone who acts a little different than we would prefer, or is a little "eccentric", and someone who legitimately might be dangerous. The entire scenario is very complex. We WANT it to be difficult to have someone declared insane/incompetent/dangerous and lose their rights.... except when it's obvious that they are, then we wonder why it's so hard. Yet, if it were easy, anyone who decides they don't like us or doesn't like guns and doesn't want us to have them could cause real problems for anyone they choose for no reason.

 

[alloy]

Reporting a person to keep them from obtaining a firearm seems as futile as passing a law to keep criminals from obtaining firearms.

Or reporting a drunk, to keep him from ever getting some alcohol or a driver's permit.

Good luck!