Armed forces not the place for mentally ill
As someone who has felt the effects of mental illness for most of my life, I was shocked to read Simone Black’s letter in today’s Citizen (Feb. 15).
Firstly, the armed forces are not the correct place for mentally ill or drug addicted individuals. The purpose of the armed forces is national defence, not rehabilitation. I have had mental health issues for my entire life. I am anxious and obsessive. Many addicts are just like me, personality-wise. OCD, anxiety, and depression often go hand in hand with addiction. Someone like me would not succeed in the army, nor is it a good place for someone with a mental health issue to heal.
You say homelessness should be illegal, that the homeless are violent towards taxpayers, that society should have the “right to remove them”? It may surprise you, but these are real people you are talking about. They are individuals who have a mental health problem: addiction. If you do not want homelessness to exist, perhaps we should be working on our housing problem. Perhaps we should provide free rehab and free counselling. But to make someone’s existence illegal? Is that really the option you think is best? Do you understand how people can fall through the cracks and end up on the street, none of it by their own volition? It is also just plain fallacious to claim that all homeless are drug addicted or violent.
Lastly, the claims you have made about mentally ill people are staggering and offensive. Not everyone with a mental illness is homeless or addicted to drugs. I know many people who suffer from mental health issues, including myself. I don’t have it too bad, and I am good at managing it. Others have it worse than me. Still, not all mentally ill people are criminals who deserve to be banned from society. I guarantee you know some people with mental illness, even if you don’t realize it. Please do not criticize an issue so vehemently that you obviously do not understand.
What we need is better housing options, taxpayer-funded rehab programs, counselling for mental health that does not have a months-long waitlist, and, yes, safe-injection sites, because they save lives.
Piper Cote
Cowichan Bay
