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Because the liberals decided the mentally ill had Civil Rights and had the right to not have treatment or be held if they did not want to be locked up.

There were a lot of abuses going on in mental institutions, that was brought out- instead of doing something to bring about changes the whole system was dismantled.

In theory people can still be locked up against their will, but in reality it does not work out that way most of the time. Even when police want someone held for evaluation they are often released without even having an evaluation. Mental health care is nearly impossible to access, filled mostly with people who have already committed crimes. Finding mental health help for someone that has not harmed anyone is in most cases not happening.

We have to address mental illness in this country, we have to be willing and able to keep some mentally ill people off the streets. We are choosing to ignore the mentally ill, and it is not working too well for us. We will have to pay for their care, because those that might well be a threat to us are seldom functioning well enough to hold a job and have insurance to pay for their care. We have to have access to mental health care so families with concerns about a family member can have them seen by a professional.

A few years ago I tried to help a woman get mental health care, she had no job and no money. There is supposed to be mental health care available for people like that. I could not even get her an initial appointment. There just were no openings, waiting list. Since no one can force another into treatment we need a place for them to be seen when they are willing to go. Delaying care often means they change their mind and will quit seeking help. The woman told me she could not get help to begin with, I did not believe her until I tried to get her seen. It really was not possible. With all the hype we hear, there really is no help in most cases.