Going Mental

It’s nice to see that some things never change and that there’s still plenty of scorn to go around four years later. Earlier this month, an article appeared in The Washington Times (H/T, Charlotte) entitled “Mental Illness Tidal Wave Swamps New Orleans.” An excerpt:

That shortage of facilities is felt most strongly by residents like Byron Turner, who four years after Katrina still is haunted by visions that eventually drove him to seek professional help.

"Life was real good for me before Katrina," he said. "I had no mental health issues ever in my life. I was never homeless. I had jobs. I had two automobiles before the storm."

Today, he is homeless and taking medication to reduce his bouts of anger. Sometimes he's angry about his situation, sometimes he just gets frustrated with himself. Sometimes, he's still angry over the hurricane.

"I still see the bodies. I still see the dead children. I still see the elderly people floatin' in the water. I still see the water," Mr. Turner said.

Overwhelmed public health agencies in New Orleans can only guess how many of the city's residents are, like Mr. Turner, still struggling to cope with the mental and emotional consequences of a maelstrom that swept away whole neighborhoods and stole away friends, relatives, homes and social networks - the glue that holds people's psyches together. 

I know, I know, it’s The Washington Times, that bastion of progressive thought and tolerance. But still, here’s a sampling of the comments left:

Some may actually be mentally ill, but there are all sorts of benefits and incentives to having a mental illness: 1. A nice place in the hospital to loaf until the crisis is over, 2. eligibility for supplemental social security (SSI) benefits of a $1000 or so a month towards drinking and drug money, and 3. extravagant welfare benefits that we are not even aware of. One suspects the crisis is caused by the preceding bunch.

Nice to see that the POTUS Hussein "Nanny State" is alive and well in N.O. !!! Odd that these problems don't seem to exist along the coast of Mississippi which was hit harder and with more human and property damage !!! Sounds like N.O. is just looking for another BailOut Fed. Program to subsidize their Nanny State !!! Anyone willing to live in a city that is located below sea level, that is in danger of repeated flooding in spite of all the Fed. $$$ poured into the area before and after Katrina may be a little nuts to begin with !!!

Galveston had Hurricane Ike last year which was just as devastating. I was there last week and they are back to normal. What is wrong with the left wing cry babies in New Orleans? Move to San Francisco where you can get 24/7 care!

I guess the picture screens on all those flat-screen TVs burned out...

We missed our chance to help New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. What was left standing should have been bulldozed, the remaining levees blown up, and everyone that was left moved to higher ground. Of course mental illness is on the rise there! What sane person would choose to live below sea level?

People used to be able to endure fires (like the Chicago fire), earthquakes (like the one in SF in the early 20th century) and yes floods and they would get themselves up and keep going. There was no FEMA or government aid. Now, with Katrina, we have professional victims. They will claim they are marked for life from this one incident. They will blame everyone but themselves. But in the end they chose to live ten feet below sea level. OK, I get your point. I guess they truly are mentally ill.

These marxists in new orleans are a disgrace, we have wounded warriors coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with no legs and arms and were still crying about a couple days worth of flooding give me a break.

"mental illness" qualifies one for disability payments, which are larger than regular welfare payments. don't be fooled america........... much of the "mental illness" that you hear about is a HUGE scam (and please don't yell and holler that i don't know anything about mental illness; i have been a mental health professional for 37 years and i hold a number of advanced degrees.............. i know what i am talking about).

Nice. I will never, until my dying day, understand the “I got mine, screw you” mentality that so many people seem to embrace these days. Because obviously, if you’re stupid enough to live in New Orleans, then you’re crazy and deserve whatever mental health problems you have, right? Either that or you’re obviously some freeloader exaggerating the effects that Katrina had on you so you can go on disability and get even MORE money than you would have gotten on welfare!

Some people scare the hell out of me.