|
Post by wombatrois on Apr 14, 2024 6:07:00 GMT -5
Webs, there are mental health problems that are difficult to treat and are serious illnesses. I've been working in a mental health area in recent years (non-clinical) and one of the things that a coordinator said once has stuck with me. They are not bad people, they are very ill people who have done bad things.
As awful and tragic as this is, he is/was clearly very ill and potentially suffering from a serious illness such as schizophrenia.
It is not making an excuse.
\steps down from soapbox\
|
|
|
Post by riverhorse on Apr 14, 2024 8:21:22 GMT -5
I've just read a very sad post from an old school friend of mine who's been horrendously triggered by yesterday's events. Her 22 year old daughter was shot dead by police 9 years ago after a mental health episode in which she was seen carrying a knife in public but was no threat to anyone. Her poor family still struggle on a daily basis to cope with this and have been working tirelessly with the police to improve interaction with mentally ill members of the public. I'm not trying to equate what happened yesterday with their experience at all - that police officer yesterday acted heroically in taking that guy down and probably saving many more lives. But it's just so sad to see how much my poor friend is still suffering.
|
|
|
Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 14, 2024 8:26:47 GMT -5
How horrible for your friend, River. I get mad at the tv stations for their excessive coverage in prime time news, as so many people could be triggered.
|
|
|
Post by Webs on Apr 14, 2024 10:55:28 GMT -5
I find that "officials" try to explain away horrible actions with "they had mental health issues."
How is that supposed to make the families of the victims feel if they need to seek mental health help? I don't understand how that makes a difference to the fact that he was a murderer.
|
|
|
Post by groo on Apr 14, 2024 17:34:10 GMT -5
How horrible for your friend, River. I get mad at the tv stations for their excessive coverage in prime time news, as so many people could be triggered. Yes. I knew most of what I needed to know on Saturday evening, the gaps were filled by Sunday lunch, but it monopolised Sunday evening's TV news and fully occupied the first 8 pages of this morning's SMH.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Apr 14, 2024 17:48:07 GMT -5
Right Webs, exactly.
But - this kind of event also needs to jump-start improvements in mental health treatment and policy, in order to come up with a way to keep people in treatment (and off the street, in a way that isn't like putting them in jail) in order to prevent more of this kind of thing from happening.
Unfortunately that hasn't happened here.
|
|
|
Post by kneazle on Apr 14, 2024 18:38:50 GMT -5
Things I've read recently where the obvious answer is more investment in mental health services:
* this * the suicide prevention service potentially being closed down - it's not now but if we had decent mental health services there'd be less of a need * JK Rowling's hand wringing about children transitioning when they're not trans (well she thinks trans doesn't exist) but if there was better mental health services it would mitigate that risk.
|
|
|
Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 14, 2024 19:20:46 GMT -5
Right Webs, exactly. But - this kind of event also needs to jump-start improvements in mental health treatment and policy, in order to come up with a way to keep people in treatment (and off the street, in a way that isn't like putting them in jail) in order to prevent more of this kind of thing from happening. Unfortunately that hasn't happened here. There is certainly more talk about exactly that here at present. Hopefully political will will follow rhetoric.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Apr 14, 2024 20:56:15 GMT -5
I hope so, ozzie
|
|
|
Post by crazycat on Apr 15, 2024 0:59:15 GMT -5
Such a shocking event. As Ozzie mentioned, I live on the other side of the city and actually don't know that many people who live in that area.
I am also frustrated with the news here and the constant repetition when they have nothing new to report. We've had the news switched off for the last couple of days to avoid the kids hearing about it.
|
|
|
Post by Queen on Apr 15, 2024 3:27:20 GMT -5
www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-68810428Perpetrator has been named, his family have commented - mentioning his long term mental health issues. Must be awful for them. Touchingly they wish the police officer who shot their son well "She was only doing her job to protect others, and we hope she is coping alright." (I used to live relatively close the location, about 3km away... but don't know anyone in the area anymore. Brother and family lived on that side of the city but moved to Brisbane in the middle of covid, so they're well out of the way)
|
|
|
Post by psw on Apr 15, 2024 11:42:23 GMT -5
Sadly back to the usual media attitute: If it bleeds it leads.
|
|
|
Post by ozziegiraffe on Apr 15, 2024 19:09:10 GMT -5
So now there’s been another knife attack, this time, apparently a 16-year-old convert to Islam, on an Assyrian Orthodox bishop celebrating mass in a church in south-west Sydney. Ended with a riot in the car park. No one killed, but multiple injuries. This one has been declared a terrorist attack, unlike the Bondi incident. About 10 years ago, across the state, school counsellors have been trained to recognise radicalisation in students, but often we don’t see the teenagers in question.
|
|
|
Post by groo on Apr 16, 2024 0:39:37 GMT -5
... and the US Embassy in Canberra has just issued a travellers warning to:
"remain vigilant, be aware of your surroundings, and practise sound personal security and situational awareness,”
Good advice anywhere, but possibly just a tad ironic.
|
|
|
Post by Queen on Apr 16, 2024 1:26:11 GMT -5
So now there’s been another knife attack, this time, apparently a 16-year-old convert to Islam, on an Assyrian Orthodox bishop celebrating mass in a church in south-west Sydney. Ended with a riot in the car park. No one killed, but multiple injuries. This one has been declared a terrorist attack, unlike the Bondi incident. About 10 years ago, across the state, school counsellors have been trained to recognise radicalisation in students, but often we don’t see the teenagers in question. Yeah, attacks on women aren't considered terrorism though.
|
|
|
Post by Liiisa on Apr 16, 2024 5:37:43 GMT -5
lol groo yes
|
|
|
Post by sprite on Apr 16, 2024 16:23:27 GMT -5
So now there’s been another knife attack, this time, apparently a 16-year-old convert to Islam, on an Assyrian Orthodox bishop celebrating mass in a church in south-west Sydney. Ended with a riot in the car park. No one killed, but multiple injuries. This one has been declared a terrorist attack, unlike the Bondi incident. About 10 years ago, across the state, school counsellors have been trained to recognise radicalisation in students, but often we don’t see the teenagers in question. Yeah, attacks on women aren't considered terrorism though. The UK has a program called 'PREVENT' which aims to help teachers/youth workers/etc spot youth radicalism in the early stages and report it on. but somewhat disappointingly for the Conservative talking heads, most of the referrals have been for hard right/white supramacy leanings.
|
|
|
Post by Queen on Apr 17, 2024 12:44:02 GMT -5
The UK has a program called 'PREVENT' which aims to help teachers/youth workers/etc spot youth radicalism in the early stages and report it on. but somewhat disappointingly for the Conservative talking heads, most of the referrals have been for hard right/white supramacy leanings. zero surprise... and the white supremacists are usually also pretty fucking misogynist... what a world
|
|