Suicide in the Sheffield schools highlights the culture of arrogance!

      Recently, a fourteen year old student at the Sheffield, Sheffield Lake school system ended his life by suicide, a death that few people understand. It is an ending that leaves many asking what could have been so detrimental to lead to such a tragic outcome; and of course others will scrutinize if it could have been prevented. Right now, everyone's heartfelt prayers should be directed towards his family and loved ones. This tragedy also brought back memories of my many adventures with this community, including suicide attempts, which provides me with insight as to what may have occurred with this young man.

     There are a few facts of this case known, and what has been disclosed, point to some disturbing behavior from school officials. It appears that he was a young African American student, who had trouble fitting in. Besides his race, he was large for his age, 6 Ft 3 inches tall and 275 pounds, and had a speech impediment which may have placed him in an unfortunate spotlight. It has been reported that he was bullied and that his family had contacted the school for help, and that assistance may not have been properly provided. If those allegations are true, this lack of intervention is an unpardonable act of the school system! When contacted, Superintendent Will Folger informed me that these allegations are still being investigated.

     One of the most crucial aspects of preventing suicide is being aware of situations that can inspire them. Students like this young man need to feel free to express any and all suicidal thoughts that they were having, and not to feel shame in seeking help. They want the belief that their symptoms and the causes, such as bullying are not dismissed, but taken seriously. Every young student should feel protected in schools and never ostracized in any fashion. With my personal and professional encounters with area leaders and the school system, I doubt seriously this open environment was ever provided, and I wonder just how badly they failed this young man.

     Former President Harry Truman once said, "There is nothing new in the world except the  history you do not know!" With that as a backdrop, a review of the zeitgeist of the community leaders can offer a glimpse into what this young man and his family faced as a roadblock in his short life.

     Over the years, I have done hundreds of programs on suicide prevention, and the dangers of depression, including a few in this school system. In fact, I once had a student from "Brookside High School" write me an inspiring note thanking me for speaking to her class. She was one of many who faced this issue with  maturity far beyond her age, and the irony of what she said many years ago should ring loud and clear in this community!  She wrote " I am proud that you’ve started a sort of crusade, if you will, instructing school administrators how to best deal with suicide. I know firsthand that sometimes a teacher or a guidance counselor may not be best quipped to handle such situations." Now many years later, who could have guessed just how accurate she was in being critical of the school administrators lack of understanding of this silent epidemic. 

    Along those lines, in dealing with this current death, evidence indicates that this school system did not clearly intervene with this young man's problems. In fact, the Superintendent seemed to indicate conflicting statements about the allegations of bullying.  At best, what is being said is highly suspect, but I am confident they will soon hide behind a shield of confidentially, rather than acknowledge any systemic failures. This position of containment could mean that few significant changes will occur as the result of this tragedy.

    I find this lack of understanding to be a cultural issue in that area. About five years ago Sheffield Village hired me to do a program to their police officers to help them understand people in crisis and to prevent future tragedies and violent police encounters. Most importantly, I use these talks to create awareness to discriminatory practices against those deemed different. Though my programs center on mental illness, a good example of someone being stigmatized as being different could be young African American guy who was being bullied. In time we will know if that indeed is what happened.

     If anyone believes that this type of work was appreciated there, guess again. The thanks I received from both the city and the schools was to be demonized with hateful comments and to have my volunteer work dragged through the mud. Their behavior is not surprising as my short time in the community did make a indelible imprint on my life, and may help explain what contributed to this current tragedy. I have vivid memories of the emotional police brutality from this department, and how it is accepted within this Village.  In talks to many police groups, I routinely hold them as an example of a rogue department that is beyond repair.

     However, what more can anyone expect from a group whose former Mayor Darlene Ondercin's claim to fame was a YouTube video titled, "Sheffield Village Mayor gone wild in Stretch pants”. Not to be outdone, the current Mayor John Hunter, will continuously cloak himself with religion, and phony claims of transparency all the time using discriminatory practices against those who do not originate from his gene pool of arrogance.  He epitomizes the verse from a song, "you can hate your neighbor, but don't forget to say grace!" These two do have one thing in common as neither has the intestinal fortitude to face problems; rather they claim they created a utopian society, and attempt to segregate those who do not fit in their self-created moral universe.

     To better illustrate their blatant ignorance, I turn to a suicide that occurred in the Village several years ago. I was investigating possible police misconduct which may have been a contributory factor. Chris Cook, the prosecutor informed me that under no conditions will anyone in the Village discus this death with me. This highly questionable action also points to possible misconduct, but they prefer to hide the information from public knowledge. However, I have discovered that none of the city officials have the emotional maturity or intelligence to even comprehend issues this complex, including Mr. Cook. Most, if not all, were exposed as nothing more than reprobates who stand behind a shield of secrecy and bigotry.

     Additionally, Mr. Cook, whom last year lost a bid for a judgeship, has, in the past displayed reckless behavior. Besides his silence on the suicide investigation, he is notorious for allowing a woman with multiple DUI's to have charges dismissed with a commitment to not file a  lawsuit against the village for, not surprisingly, a police brutality claim. This stemmed from an officer tasering a handcuffed woman in the back while in police custody. Predictably, no charges were filed against that officer and the woman was once again arrested a short time later for drunk driving.

      It is essential that I mention that I have met several outstanding teachers from this system, and one particularly stood out as exemplary. They are not the ones whose actions are in doubt, and I am confident they would have taken steps to help prevent this tragedy.

     The same can be said about a former police officer from the Village, Mark Palmer. I found him to be an excellent example of a law enforcment officer, who spent time as a school resource officer. Instead of the city and Mayor Hunter ingratiating themselves to his work, the Mayor spent considerable effort attempting to lay him off and blame budget cuts. Sadly, Mr. Palmer left and is now a member an outstanding police department in Bay Village.

     Many of these before mentioned individuals will not address this article on its substance, but will begin personal attacks directed at me. My goals have always been the same. Bring awareness to mental illness, suicide and do what can be done to prevent them. I do not have all the answers, and it is accepted that no one does. The offers for help and education have always been only a phone call away, but leaders of this group must first put their prejudices down and embrace the term accountability, not containment! Additionally, it is said that it takes a village to raise a family, but it also takes village idiots to destroy them!

     There will be allegations that this article is rough and unfair to the community and school leaders. I will answer that by saying, my grandfather was an old Russian immigrant who worked the coal mines around Madera, Pa while he and my grandmother raised 11 children. This was long before modern technology. When I was a child, he once told me that when the jackass they would use to haul coal would refuse to move, no one would whisper sweet nothings in its ear. What would happen is that they would beat the animal across the head with a 2x4. I am using a metaphorical chunk of wood, but the intended targets, city and school officials are similar to the animals my grandfather described! In simple terms, heed the words of the late actor John Wayne; "Life is hard, and it's even harder when you are stupid!"

     I have faced a vast amount of bias in that community strictly because I was deemed unworthy because of a mental illness. As of now, I have no evidence to suggest that racism fueled this tragic outcome. However, I have discovered in my 10 plus years of advocacy, that if someone is prejudice against someone for one reason, it is an easy deduction to believe that it is in their resolve to exclude people for being different in any number of ways, race and disease included!

     In closing, I ask everyone to add an extra prayer to the family of this young man. Use him as a goal to become aware of the motivating factors that can affect the lives of anyone's children, as suicide is the third leading cause of death in their age brackets. Demand that schools and city leaders take preventative measures to protect the students that we entrust to them. Never settle for anything less, or history will continue to repeat itself.

Gabriella Gifford and Mark Kelly, courageous, but misguided.

     Before I get into the crux of my column, there are some issues that must first be explored. I must point out that former Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords, should be praised for the courage she and her husband have shown for her miraculous recovery from the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona in January of 2011. She is an inspiration to anyone who suffers any life changing event, and I hope and pray that she continues to reclaim her life.

     With that being said, she and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, have put themselves in the spotlight on one side of an issue that both invites and even demands scrutiny. Especially when the primary cause of many tragedies is being routinely corrupted and ignored, resulting in many innocent people stigmatized as the scape-goats.

     On a near daily basis, this couple has spoken up and called for tougher gun laws, including the banning of certain semi-automatic weapons. Along with President Obama, they indicate that it is essential that the mentally ill be prevented from owning guns as a way to protect Americans. Even more disturbing, they continue to classify individuals suffering from mental illness with those of violent felons. As an example, in a recent speech in Tucson, Arizona, he said, "The least we can do is a very commonsense thing to make it more difficult for criminals and the mentally ill to have access to firearms."

     For many years, countless advocates and consumers have worked hard to create awareness that people with mental illness can function properly in society. However, it is the ignorance that Mr. Kelly is displaying here that condemns people with one of these conditions into a lifetime of living in a self-imposed underground. What he fails to realize is the sheer nature of mental illness. It is not a condition that is easy to diagnoses nor is it one that has clear boundaries. However, those diagnosed conduct a daily struggle for wellness, understanding and against the very discrimination that Mr. Kelly is advocating. For some emotional reasons, he is under the archaic assumption that mental illness is a crime unto itself. These comments are extremely harmful and will limit the lives of innocent people.

    To clarify, it is now understood that people who suffer the indignities of one of these afflictions are no more violent than the rest of society. In fact, they are more likely to become victims of crime, at a higher rate than people deemed "normal". Additionally, many other studies have shown these conditions to be the number one direct cause of disability in the workplace. Many of these poor souls are trying desperately to find the proper treatment and recover, only to find little social acceptance, which is a massive roadblock. Even more dangerous is to be categorized with violent felons like Mr. Kelly and President Obama seem to find no guilt in doing.

     What is routinely misunderstood is exactly who suffers from these disorders. Many are surprised to discover that it affects rich, poor, famous, not so famous, military personnel, politicians, sports heroes, first responders and the list goes on and on. These people wage a struggle for understanding and search for appropriate treatment. Mr. Kelly has inadvertently demonized an unlimited group of people who have done nothing more than get sick.

     A more pointed example would be; he is telling police officers who develop mental health issues from vicarious trauma, that they are no longer fit to perform the work in their field, and that is completely wrong. With treatment, they should be permitted to resume their careers, and many have gone on to continue to be excellent law enforcement officers. I know that because I have met many of those who did just that!

     Mr. Kelly was also quoted in that speech as saying, "if the background checks they're calling for had been in place, the man who opened fire at the store (where Congresswomen Giffords was shot) never would have been able to buy a gun." That makes a vast deal of assumptions, which fail to stand up to scrutiny. Chicago, Illinois, which boasts a powerful gun control law, witnessed 532 murders in 2012, 435 by guns. I venture to guess, precious few of those weapons were procured by lawful means. I have doubts whether the gang leaders and drug dealers who perpetrated most of those homicides would have passed the background check as proposed.

     Let us now examine the perpetrator of the shooting in Tucson, Jared Loughner, and the true failures that led to this tragedy. Now serving a life sentence, he was a man who suffers from schizophrenia, and was clearly psychotic when he committed these atrocities. Mr. Kelly is correct that this could have been prevented, but not the way he believes. I agree this man should not have been in possession of a gun; however, he could have certainly acquired one by the same means that the murderers in Chicago have.    

     The true path that could have prevented this shooting was a modernized mental health system. One with proper funding, readily available treatment, and most importantly, civil commitment laws that do NOT allow individuals to walk around in a delusional state, like Mr. Loughner was doing.

     It was not widely reported, but Loughners parents had attempted, on more than one occasion, to have their son forcibly brought in for needed treatment. However, until he became a direct threat to himself or others, the current law does not allow for forced civil commitment. Had his parents had this resource of modern commitment laws at their disposal, their son may have been in a hospital instead of at that campaign rally. What is even more bedeviling is that those laws have been virtually unchanged since that fateful day in January of 2011, even though similar tragedies have occurred in Aurora, Colorado and Newton, Connecticut.

     Though this is an emotional issue, Mrs. Giffords who served three terms in  the U.S. Congress, did not make mental health care reform an enormous priority. Though not alone in that inaction, the programs did and will continue to suffer a diminishing standard of care in spite of an ever increasing demand for services. This is not to say she is to blame for the systems undoing, but it is clear she did little to prevent the continued destruction. Once again, remarkably few changes have been proposed that will reverse this downward spiral.

     I do believe that Mr. Kelly and Mrs. Giffords are remarkable individuals, and I applaud their desire to work for change. However, because of the loud voices on both sides of the gun control issue, it has totally drowned out the potential for true change within the mental health framework. We will continue to see suicide rates increase, families torn apart, promising careers derailed and more detrimental outcomes, with few calls for restructure.

     One final point must be made in that this is not about ideology, or is it about partisan politics. Neither party has a copyright of responsibility for the systemic failure when it comes to treating the mentally ill. It must be remembered,  after the tragedy involving Congresswoman Giffords, there were strong calls for a dialogue on mental illness. She and her husband were both in a position to influence that dialogue. Instead, they have challenged the instrument of the perpetrator, not the disease that was the true culprit. That in itself is an added tragedy.  

     

Mindy McCready; a sad but inevitable end!

     In 2006, while speaking to a group of nursing students, one of them asked me about a country western singer named Mindy McCready and her increasingly maladaptive behavior. Since I had never heard of her, the student went on to describe her mental health and drug issues, and how it derailed her once promising career. It was on that day I began to pay close attention to this famous artist.

     Tragically, with all that I learned about her life, it came as no shock when I recently discovered that she finally succeeded in killing herself with a gunshot wound to her head. Immediately, I pulled out a file that I have accumulated on her, and went straight to a CNN.com story from July 18, 2006. It was one that discussed her recent arrest for a DUI. On the bottom, I made an ominous prediction when I wrote, "this will have a bad outcome". Even back then, I believed that she would die prematurely from either a drug overdose or by her own hands. I  hoped that I would be wrong, but with her outward behavior, I knew that was unlikely.

     A close examination of her life is what made that prediction so easy to make. She hit the pinnacle of her career at a remarkably young age and from that point, began her downhill spiral. Her first album took Nashville by storm, but she was unable to sustain her success. After that, mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic abuse and family dysfunction followed her every move.

      When others reflect back on her life, they discover that she was a metaphor for being "used and abused." As a teenager, she had an alleged affair with former major league baseball star Roger Clemons, a married father of two. Though he denies those claims, Roger Clemons can best be described as having questionable integrity. Add to that arrests for drugs issues, DUI's, prescription fraud, plus she was once beaten so severely by a boyfriend that he was charged with attempted murder, and her demise became quite clear.  Embarrassingly, another former boyfriend released an unauthorized sex tape of her, and with so much misery accumulating, there was now a recipe for disaster.

     It is common knowledge that all the love in the world does not cure a chemical imbalance, so it can be added that fame and wealth also fail as a treatment mechanism. No matter what Mindy McCready accomplished, she could not escape her inner demons, which were always present and grew stronger over time. However, she did not go down without a fight, as on more than one occasion, she checked herself into rehabilitation to try and control her condition. However, she could never overcome what was torturing her, and apparently, she did not continue her treatment as prescribed.

     Another person who did manipulate her was one that used therapy as a rouse to entice her and others on television. She was exploited on a show called "Celebrity Rehab" with someone named Dr. Drew. He brought her and others on a show to pour their hearts out as a way to exorcise their demons. Sadly, it was more  exploitation for ratings than anything else.  It bears mentioning that five individuals who appeared on that show over a two year period have ended their lives by suicide, and the idiot doctor still defends his methods. Those comments alone are proof that stupidity knows no bounds.

     It should come as no surprise that if a person attempts suicide, that individual is highly likely to try it again, and she contributed to that statistic. There were four other documented attempts, three by pills and one by slashing her wrists. All ended with short stays in a rehab facility, and failed to stop Mindy from continuing her degenerating condition. That alone is evidence that she was planning her exit strategy years before she finally succeeded. It was as if, like many others, she kept reaching for help and was never able to find that metaphorical life preserver.

     It is difficult to see what was the last stressor that caused her to end her life. It is evident that the death of her boyfriend a month before in a similar fashion was the final tipping point, but the seeds of this destruction were planted many years ago. It must be added that as of now, the police are treating his death as suspicious, and Mindy McCready was questioned several times. Though it appears to be a suicide, this impression of being involved with possible foul play could have contributed to her already fragile emotional state.

     One point must be made. Most suicides are not the result of one specific incident, rather, it is the culmination of a series of events. Keep in mind these factors can be real or fictitious because that person is cursed with clouded thinking. Over time, these events tend to add up until the individual can find no way to end their suffering, which leads to such tragic outcomes. The best comparison is a boxer getting battered with body punches until it finally breaks them down, rather than one large knockout punch.

     One other issue bears mentioning. It is not common knowledge that the first two weeks after leaving a hospital for a mental health crisis are a critical time. This is a period when there is a high risk for suicide, and there are many theories for this phenomenon. My impression is that a hospital provides a protective shield from reality; the walls are there to stop the demons from invading the mind of its targets. Once that person leaves the hospital, it is as if time stood still on the outside, and the emotional malignancy that drove them to seek treatment is there waiting to resume its attack. If the individual is not prepared to accept  this realism, the truth can be overwhelming, and have catastrophic results.  It appears that this could have contributed to her death as she killed herself 11 days after her release.

     Society tends to judge people who die of suicide in a demeaning fashion. People have already judged Mindy McCready unfairly and with condemnation. I have read where some said that she wasted her life and threw it all away, meaning her fame and talent. What these individuals fail to understand is that addiction and mental illness are sadistic and traumatic conditions. Like everyone else afflicted, she had to wake up every morning and start her day by battling her inner pain. It is a struggle that cannot be understood by anyone who has not suffered as many people do so in silence.

     In the end, she joined an unending line of people who finish their lives as a way to escape the pain they suffer. I have written about many, a young girl from Vermillion Ohio, a successful businessman from Elyria, and the son of a Super Bowl winning head coach. Tragically, this list will continue to grow, until we as a society begin to develop a concerted effort and investment in treating and understanding these disorders. So far societies track record is decidedly limited, and the future does not appear any brighter. Rest in Peace Mindy McCready!

Politics 1 Real Solutions 0

     As the fog of shock from the December tragedy in Sandy Hook school in Connecticut begins to vanish, we witness cries for reform that are best described as the theater of the absurd. Instead of searching for avenues to prevent future tragedies, this country's leaders are once again pointing fingers of blame at the wrong people. One group clearly singled out, the National Riflemen's Association (NRA), has been disgustingly compared to the NAZI's. This in spite of knowing that its members are for the most part, hardworking, law abiding citizens. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg of stupidity.

     On a personal note, I have been speaking out for years about substandard care in the mental health system. In this tragedy, like others in Tucson Arizona, Aurora Colorado, and on the campus of Virginia Tech University, mental illness was the nucleus of the cause. To be more specific, it is a system ravaged by budget cuts, reduction in the number of beds, and in many cases, scarce available treatment.  Once again, these misunderstood disorders are getting a vast deal of attention, but it is evident that it is the mentally ill themselves are being made the scapegoats, and not the failing system. It does not require a great deal of searching to discover proof of that wrongful indictment.

     Not long ago, Juan Williams, a Liberal Fox news correspondent made a comment that only added to the hysteria on this emotionally charged issue. He said, "If you have a mentally ill family member, the government shouldn't let you have a gun." This was on top of the startling announcement by NRA President Wayne LaPierre, who is now advocating  "a national registry of those with mental illness" be established to make us feel safer. Both have shown a remarkable lack of  awareness of mental illness, and their proposals just marginalize those who suffer in silence. These comments, which border on bigotry, play well with ignorant people, but do nothing but add to the burden that the stigma of these afflictions create.

     Not to be outdone for attention, Vice President Joe Biden added to this madness of stigmatizing those with mental illness by declaring that people afflicted cannot be trusted. He proposed that there should be a mental health check for everyone who owns a gun. Though he used this as a forum to garner support from a fringe element of society, it once again, degrades everyone who suffers from these malady's. This coming from a man who once had to drop out of a race for President because he plagiarized his speeches. Simply, he stole the work of others.

    I have heard and read many different newfangled solutions to this situation, but many seem to  fall just short of sewing a "Star of David" on the clothes of those suffering with mental illness. Sadly, it is not that much of an exaggeration to believe that is what these "three stooges", Biden, Williams and LaPierre  seem to be advocating. Next, I am anticipating the call to round up mentally ill individuals, and march them into a resettlement camp. After all, that was what a former mayor of Avon Lake Ohio once wanted to champion.

     Illuminating these individuals lack of coherence, is none seem to understand that no visible lines can be drawn as to where mental illness begins and ends. No true test exists that can be given to diagnosis someone; it is simply a syndrome of symptoms. These individuals live by the motto, never let facts stand in the way of a good headline!

     Now, focusing on the real issue, the problems in the mental health system are no secret and have been known for quite some time. It is the lack of proper funding and laws that have been in need of updating for several generations. It is also the broken promises from deinstitutionalization. However, with each tragedy, the calls for reform are almost always ignored, or placated with minor corrections that do not require significant increased expenditures. However, this is a time for some genuine dialogue and corrections, not stupidity being lead by the likes of the Joe Biden's.

     With his recent proposals, President Obama's approach to this issue was to make tokenistic gestures on improving access to mental health care. It is clear that these minor changes are nothing more than a way to camouflage his true obsession, which is gun control. Much worse, his uncalled for attacks on specific media outlets and NRA members do nothing but inflame opposition to any real conversation that could bring positive results.   

     Recently, I contacted the offices of Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman, and Congressman Jim Renacci. I asked one question, which was "Since tragedies in Tucson Arizona, Aurora Colorado, and now Newton Connecticut, why are there no proposals to overhaul and repair the mental health system?"  I did receive statements from both Senators press secretaries, but never received a response from Congressman Renacci's office.

     Senator Brown's office wrote about being a father and grandfather and how this tragedy in Connecticut affected him. One comment did stand out. He said, "we must start a sensible dialogue about gun safety in our communities, and reexamine our mental health system."

     Though his words sound promising, my question to Senator Brown is; How can we have a sensible dialogue on mental illness and guns, when so many outrageous comments are being made, specifically on the liberal left? A notable example is actress Marg Halgenberger, who wished through her twitter account that members of the NRA get shot! Add to that the racist comments made by political exploiter Michael Moore who said, "Calm down white people and put your guns down!" Instead of condemning these useless idiots, and opening the door to a real conversation, we have only silence from Senator Brown's side of the political spectrum.

     Senator Portman said, "He supports a commission to examine and report on the root causes of tragic incidents like the horrific school shootings." My response to him is clear. We do not need a self-serving commission to tell us what is wrong. It is the dismantling of the mental health system that is the main culprit. He also ignores that two of his supporters here in Ohio, Speaker of the House William Batchelder and State Representative Nan Baker are two of the most complicit architects in the destruction of Ohio's Mental Health system. If Senator Portman is serious about correcting the failures, he needs to start by condemning the arrogant behavior of these two individuals, who represent the political right.

     For these political leaders, I do present two solutions, and hopefully, there will some real actions and dialogue, but if history is any indicator, that is highly unlikely to occur.

     Assisted outpatient treatment was the catalyst for the failed deinstitutionalization in the early 1960's. This was the idea that people could be released from long term facilities and have community centers available for them to have their treatment monitored. It bears mentioning that the Democratic party, who ran all branches of government at the time, never supplied these promised facilities, and the patients were eventually left to fend for themselves. This led us down the path to the current crisis in the mental health system, which is increased  homelessness, suicides, and aforementioned tragedies. Though long overdue, it is time for the promises made in the 1960's to be finally realized!

     Next on the agenda should be to modernize the laws regarding civil commitment. Under current statutes, unless the individual is an immediate threat to themselves or others, there is no legal avenue to have them forced into treatment. In the murderous rampage in Tucson Arizona, the perpetrator, Jared Lee Loughner had a history of severe mental illness. Shortly after the killings, it was discovered that his family attempted on more than one occasion, to force him into needed treatment. However, they were unable to do so because the laws allow people like him to walk around in a delusional state. Now Loughner is receiving needed treatment while he is doing a life sentence for the killing of six people, and wounding twelve others. With modern civil commitment laws, it is likely that his parents could have had him in a hospital receiving treatment, thus avoiding this tragedy. Ironically, there has been nothing but silence on this aspect of that tragedy.

     The proposals that I have put forward are ones that have been discussed at length by many advocates, and have been largely ignored by  political leaders. Just imagine what would happen if we did embrace these changes. We would see less homelessness, fewer suicides, less family dysfunction, reduced disability, and yes, we would diminish the likelihood of future tragedies. What a novel idea, real solutions to real problems! When was the last time we witnessed that from this country's political leaders?