The Mentally Unhealthy, The Mentally Ill, and Gun Violence

     Sometimes, gun violence is a result of mental illness and sometimes, it isn't. For those who have used guns violently because they are mentally ill, they often do it because they feel misunderstood, ignored, like too much is expected of them, or all of those things. Often, they are delusional or hold irrational beliefs. Others, who might not be mentally ill, are usually angry about things that have gone or are going in in their lives (Fox News). They may be able to function day-to-day, but want to get back at those who may have insulted them.
   
     Now a days, it seems like people feel more entitled to do violent things then they ever have and the root cause of this is feeling like no one cares about them. However, this does not give them to take the lives of others. So, what can be done to stop this crisis? An important approach is to realize that one, gun violence can be caused by people who are mentally unhealthy, but not necessarily clinically diagnosed with a mental illness and two, seriously mentally ill people are at higher risk for committing mass shootings (The Mary Sue).

     We should build more mental hospitals for people with mental illnesses rather than treating them as if they are okay. Many times, those people are are expected to keep up with the standards of modern society and we should not force them to do so if they truly aren't capable. If we realize these things and take action for them, then these people might feel like they are more cared for and the number of mass shootings would decrease (Partners in Wellness).   
     

Comments

  1. Julie Quinn TACApril 7, 2018 at 11:20 AM

    What's interesting is that the scenario that you describe can cover those with and without mental illness. Many times people are motivated into violence due to rejection or being misunderstood. That doesn't mean mental illness is the catalyst for the action, does it?
    What kind of website is "The Mary Sue"? Does it have reliable data from a credentialed author?
    In paragraph 3, I'm with you in the call to build more mental health infrastructure. But where is that money going to come from? Taxes? It seems as if our government is going in the opposite direction. Getting money to support mental health services will be just as hard as getting gun regulations passed in this current federal environment....

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