Why isn't there "Terminal Mental illness"

[UndertheOcean]

there is no such classification , it is always assumed that all mental illness is manageable now days...

I disagree, that is entirely not true . Even with todays drugs some people find no relief , I knew a few.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear UndertheOcean...

I suspect that some folks don't want to accept that any mental illness is terminal...

:hug:

[AngryAmish]

2. Depression can be fatal via suicide

[Droopy]

3. I heard somewhere that 10% of mentally ill people die by their own hand

How many of those were getting proper treatment? I don't know. Along these lines there is a group of mental health advocates who are trying to get mental illness classified as a physical illness- a brain disease.

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. It's about 1 in 5 for Bipolar, but I am not sure if that is only for Bipolar 1. Still, I

can understand why it happens. My worst episodes the only reason I survived them was because I knew they would be over in about 3 days. If they lasted longer than that, God only knows what I would have done.

[FloridaJudy]

4. Almost any illness can be fatal

If it's neglected long enough, and gods know we don't don't have a great system in this country for making sure the mentally ill are cared for.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I dunno. I suppose there is the thinking that somewhere out there is the right

combo of drugs, if we can just hang in in there long enough. (Still haven't quite found my magic cocktail yet, myself.)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. well most diagnoses are long term: schizophrenia, bipolar etc

depression and anxiety are the ones that could be short term or long term

[TZ]

8. The appropriate term is chronic, really

Which basically means that its a condition that one has to deal with their entire lives, well managed or not.
Technically all life is "terminal". Even if conditions aren't well managed, they aren't NECESSARILY fatal either...They can lead to behaviors that cause fatalities yes..but the diseases themselves don't kill.

[FloridaJudy]

9. It's not just suicide

The mentally ill tend not to take very good care of themselves, even if they're not suicidal. Poor health habits result in excess mortality, even in those who don't kill themselves. Also impaired judgment can lead to more accidents.

Just the other night there was a story on Countdown about a homeless veteran who died of exposure: he probably didn't mean to freeze to death, but couldn't find a way of preventing that from happening. I don't know that this man had mental health issues, but it's most likely he did. Care of the mentally ill has never been great in this country, but it's gotten worse under the Republicans.