While Wessely plays with the Mental Health Act, and Chalder, Sharpe and others do useless research , children are being locked away

Shut away and threatened like animals: Families tell how their children with autism and learning disabilities were locked away in secret institutions for years after they asked for help

• Those with autism and learning disabilities have fallen into 'dismal ‘care’
• Parents shocked after children are fed through a hatch with a bowl for a toilet
• Incredibly, the average stay for these patients at ATUs is five and a half years
  
  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...rning-disabilities-locked-away-years-end.html

Scandal of the autistic youngsters locked in solitary confinement: Hundreds of children are being held in appalling conditions and routinely abused in secluded padded cells

• Devastated families are having young adults taken from them and locked away
• Investigation found teenagers were being forcibly injected violently restrained
• An autistic man was sent away for 18 years and was 'abused and restrained'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...nditions-routinely-abused-secluded-cells.html

eta: not expecting 'likes'; just trying to highlight where the money wasted could be better spent.

 

Well, that's a dèja-vu

 

@Sly Saint , I had very ambivalent feelings about 'liking' your post introducing this thread. It is an important issue so I wanted to add to its profile on this forum at the same time 'raging' that these appalling nineteenth century responses are happening in twenty first century would be much more appropriate.

 

@Sly Saint. So sorry that I can't 'like'. Couldn't even finish reading the article. How can this happen.

 

Another example :

"OCD is a clinically recognised disorder which affects around 1-2 per cent of the population. It is debilitating and paralysing. People with OCD experience intensely negative, repetitive and intrusive thoughts, combined with a chronic feeling of doubt or danger."

"A spokesperson for OCD Action said: “There is a shocking statistic that the average delay between onset of symptoms of OCD and people getting treatment is 12 years; this needs to change. People are often ashamed to talk about their OCD for fear of being judged or misunderstood"

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/media/news/...out-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-in-new-film

eta: posted this because I know of a young woman suffering from anorexia and ocd who has been put in an institution ; her mother says CBT was useless, has tried everything and is at her wits end.

 

It would appear that there needs to be discussion between MPs and the Lord Chancellors Department ( I have never been able to bring myself to refer to it as the Ministry of Justice) regarding the use of injunctions as to disclosure in matters of clear public interest. I thought that a few years ago the incoming head of the family Division had made commitments regarding a more open style, but I do not recall whether that related merely to the Court of Protection. Clearly there is a need to protect vulnerable individuals, but is it they whose interests are protected?

 

I think I mentioned before, that in my previous work life I have come across the elderly confused physically restrained in hospital settings and use of what amounts to chemical restraint, in situations where no formal committal procedures had been undertaken.

It would seem to me as a lay person such without due process constitutes assault and even kidnap.

It seems our system is letting people down. Indeed for people in long stay institutions they would potentially be better off in prison as at least there they have access to the justice system and some prospect of release.

 

Perhaps the organophosphates pesticide companies should be made to pay for better care of autistic children, given that there is "compelling" evidence that prenatal organophosphate exposure increases the risk of autism (not to mention ME/CFS):

Ban entire pesticide class to protect children's health, experts say

 

Yes. By far, there isn't as much judicial regulation in psychiatries. If I had to choose I would choose prison. I wouldn't want a lawyer to plead "not guilty due to insaneness".

Nah. Money money above all! Economy is more important than environment or people, lest alone children. Just think about all that job places that would be threatened. This is simply the world, we have to adjust and bring sacrifices for a "bigger good". (cynicism)

 

I think OPs should be banned, but that article was vastly overhyped. One of the researchers said that it would make a difference of five or six points in IQ. The risk to farm and factory workers is grea tand is enough to justify a ban in itself. A lesser risk to children is important but scare headlines are done by papers to sell papers.

People with Autism get sick of newspaper headlines about their disease the same way we do.

 

Was it better in the Soviet union?

 

I have no idea, but from the bits I heard: no, including today.
I would like to do some searches about this topic in Russia.

Why do you ask?

 

Well, in part because I’m just in a bad mood. But also it seems like the comment was going in the direction of “if only we had a different system, it would work better”. Inmyohpinny, if you take the same people & give them a system with more central authority, you get more abuse. Swap in a different set of ambitious people and guess what.

I actually have no idea if “let’s try more central control aka Socialism” is what you meant, please don’t take it as a snide personal remark. I’m getting very frustrated with staring at a wall and doing absolutely nothing year after year, capacity for communicating of all types seems to be going downhill.

 

Obviously that's not what I meant. And I don't think we should start discussing systems (forum rules, very complex, often emotionally loaded). Let me just say that I think it could be better - there are problems - and I think there could be alternatives, but I wouldn't think too restricted (most people think in terms of capitalism vs. socialism or no control vs. all control, there is so much more).

I think it is important to critisize the "system", as a sort of "control". Ideally, there would be a real separation of powers as a control, and better transparency.

The problems we face are the result of the world/environment/culture/whatever we live in. There could be many solutions, but they're restricted by that "system". Since the system can't be changed ad-hoc, solutions need to be found inside of the system. But there are several people who don't want a change, that makes it harder for the ME community.

I am sorry you feel frustrated. I feel myself like that sometimes.