jane says .. chapter29
TRANSCRIPT
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Chapter 29 !!!!!!!!!!!!
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>
Emergency SB43 Inquiry for Terry Russell of NAMI Ohio-- From Mental-HealthConsumer
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 6:12 AMTo: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>Bcc: "<[email protected]>" <[email protected]>, "<[email protected]>"<[email protected]>, [email protected], "Blakely, Beverly" <[email protected]>,[email protected], "Cameron, Jack" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "Collver,Geoffrey" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], dconley@oca-ohio.org, [email protected], "Gall, Shilo" <[email protected]>, "Garrity, Bob" <[email protected]>,"Golphin, Jewel" <[email protected]>, "gov, SAMHSA" <[email protected]>, [email protected],"Herrel, Alaina" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],"[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "Johnson, Betsy" <[email protected]>, "Jones, Ken"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], "Kelly-Hauser, Jessica"<[email protected]>, [email protected], "Kirkman, Michael" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "McNeil, Meghan"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], "Prutsman, Carole"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "Risser, Pat" <[email protected]>, "Schulman, Laura P."<[email protected]>, "Sigal, Laura" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "Stratton, Justice Evelyn" <[email protected]>,"[email protected]" <[email protected]>, [email protected], "Turocy, Mary"<[email protected]>, "Valentine, Lisa" <[email protected]>, [email protected],[email protected], "Aide, Rep. Butler-OHJC-Chair" <[email protected]>, "Aide, Rep. Stinziano-OHJC-Ranking" <[email protected]>, "HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Gonzales" <[email protected]>,"HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Hacket" <[email protected]>, "HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Ruhl" <[email protected]>,"HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Sprague" <[email protected]>, [email protected], "OHJC-Chair/HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Butler" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Celebrezze"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Conditt" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Hayes"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Letson" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Lynch"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Pillich" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Slaby"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Stebelton" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep.Winburn" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member/HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Stautberg" <[email protected]>,"OHJC-Ranking, Rep. Stinziano" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-ViceChair, Rep. Pelanda"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "Aide, Sen. Brown-OSCJC-Member"<[email protected]>, "Aide, Sen. Burke-SB43-Proponent" <[email protected]>, "Aide,Sen. Coley-OSCJC-Chair" <[email protected]>, "Aide, Sen. Schiavoni-OSCJC-Member"<[email protected]>, "Aide, Sen. Schiavoni-OSCJC-Member" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "Groseclose, Emily" <[email protected]>, "Harrison, Gianna"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],"Jordan, Senator" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "OSCJC-Chair, Sen. Coley" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Bacon"<[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Brown" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen.Eklund" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Eucker" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member,Sen. Oelslager" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Schiavoni" <[email protected]>,"OSCJC-Member/SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Seitz" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Ranking, Sen. Skindell"<[email protected]>, "OSCJC-ViceChair, Sen. Obhof" <[email protected]>, [email protected],[email protected], "SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Balderson" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen.Burke" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Kearney" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen.Sawyer" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Tavares" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], "Turner, Nina" <[email protected]>,[email protected], Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>, April Friedman <[email protected]>,Rachel Varcho <[email protected]>, Alan Johnson <[email protected]>, Danielle Terrazzino<[email protected]>, Glenn Sheller <[email protected]>
Dear Mr. Russell, Executive Director of NAMI Ohio:
I wanted to write you regarding the status of the "Mind Movement" campaign that you spoke extensively about onDecember 16th, 2013, during your inspiring presentation at the OACBHA Mental Health and Drug AddictionConference:
http://www.oacbha.org/docs/Stigma_-_NAMI.pdf
You had indicated that the website for the campaign would launch in January 2014, last month— however, upongoogling the topic, I was not able to find it. This was disappointing, as I have a "report" I would like to officiallyfile under the website’s "stigma buster alert system” as soon as possible.
Namely, the Ohio legislature seeks currently, to pass Senate Bill 43 (SB43)— legislation that will enhance oursociety’s stigmatic discrimination against the mentally ill in a multitude of ways, specifically noting:
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(1) SB43 seeks to deny persons diagnosed with "mental illness” their civil right to bear arms, despite the research-driven conclusions of your national affiliate, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), assuring us that:
(1)(a) Our mentally-ill population is no more violent than our "normal" population; and
(1)(b) That persons struggling with mental illness are actually, significantly more prone than “normal” persons, tobe the subjects of abuse and violence committed by others;
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(2) SB43 seeks to create a legal presumption that persons struggling with mental-illness are criminals— requiringall persons diagnosed with “mental illness” under the provisions of SB43 to be reported to the National Bureau ofCriminal Investigation;
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(3) SB43 seeks to strip from persons diagnosed with “mental illness” and receiving mental-health medical careunder the provisions of SB43, certain real property rights otherwise guaranteed to all persons under the law;
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(4) SB43 seeks to permit the use of psychological abuse by mental-health medical “professionals”, upon persons
struggling with mental-illness in order to “persuade” such persons into submissive compliance with “appropriate
and reasonable” treatment methods, by:
(4)(a) Denying from persons who struggle with mental-illness, access to their own psychiatric medical records;
(4)(b) Allowing Probate Court Judges to use elusive legal language provided under SB43, to deny from persons
struggling with mental-illness civil rights otherwise guaranteed to all persons under law; and
(4)(c) Encouraging the use of unsubstantiated court-procedures to legally harass persons struggling with mental-
illness.
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(5) SB43 seeks to allow the forced administration of psychiatric, brain-altering medications upon persons
struggling with mental illness— and impose physical restraints, isolation and other punishments where such
persons are “non-compliant” with “recommended” medication regimes, despite acknowledgement of:
(5)(a) The overwhelming occurrence of severe short-term physical and psychiatric side-effects and allergic
reactions imposed by psychiatric medications— which often aggravate and/or enhance the “behavioral” issues for
which the medication was prescribed in the first place;
(5)(b) The substantiated potential for long-term damage to physical health imposed by long-term consumption of
psychiatric medications;
(5)(c) The wide-ranging controversy in the mental-health medical community right now, as to which treatment
methods should even be considered humane; and
(5)(d) The overall incompetency of Ohio’s mental-health medical support network— for which SB43 provides no
funding or implementation plan to help rectify.
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As the leader of the self-proclaimed “voice on mental-illness” for our state, I was hoping that you could explain for
our mentally-ill community the reasons that you support the passage of SB43— most notably, when such
legislation:
(I) Poses significant harm to those of us who struggle with mental-illness;
(II) Imposes punishment for those of us who would otherwise like to seek out help in learning how to manage our
conditions; and
(III) Will necessarily reinforce the stigmatic discrimination with which our society already abuses our mentally-ill
population.
I look forward to hearing back, in hopes that your insight will help those of us struggling with mental-illness better
understand your motivations. And of course, in light of the Ohio Senate Civil Justice Committee’s intent to take
action on SB43 during their public hearing at the Statehouse this Wednesday— an expedited response would be so
very much appreciated.
Very Truly Yours,
Marissa K. Varcho
Attorney at Law
4799 Seven Lakes Place
Powell, Ohio 43065
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>
A Message from NAMI Franklin County
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 3:47 PMTo: Glenn Sheller <[email protected]>, Alan Johnson <[email protected]>Bcc: Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>, Geoffrey Collver <[email protected]>, MichaelKirkman <[email protected]>
Hi Alan and Mr. Sheller,
About one hour after I sent that email to Mr. Russell at NAMI Ohio this morning, BCC'ing the Ohio legislature,NAMI Franklin County's email list, each of you and the different local mental-health advocacy organizations, etc.-- I received this email below from NAMI Franklin County-- gutting all of their "consumer voice" programs. Theyare still funding support programs for "family members" of mentally-ill people, but no longer support the mentally-ill people themselves.
Mr. Sheller, is there anything that can be done? Would you reconsider an op-ed piece by any chance for thisSunday's paper? This is exactly what US Representative Timothy Murphy on the federal level is posing to do rightnow in the US House with HR3717-- silence the consumer-voice. What other industry even does this-- silence itsconsumers' voice? This is a mess.
Kids are dying out here because they can't get the mental-health support that they need, and when I stick up forthem to try'n get it-- Terry Russell at NAMI Ohio shuts the consumer-voice-valve off for his mental-health"advocacy" organization, Senator Coley-Chairman of the Ohio Senate Civil Justice Committee refuses to let meexplain my idea for compromise during the committee hearing two weeks back, and tells me repeatedly in theinterested-parties meeting last week that he and I should talk about my ideas "privately" in his office. This is epictragedy lying in wait...
Please let me know if I can write something for the paper to support the consumer voice. I can write in any formatyou'd like Mr. Sheller. Any word length, any tone, whatever you want. I will make whatever you have to offerwork. If you can create any opportunity, please give me one chance. I will not disappoint.
Marissa K. [email protected]://thecultivationofbeauty.comhttp://janesaysrise.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: NAMI Franklin County <[email protected]>Date: Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 7:06 AMSubject: A Message from NAMI Franklin CountyTo: [email protected]
[Quoted text hidden]
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>
SB43 Witness Slip & Supporting Written Testimony Documentation
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]> Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 9:28 AMTo: "Sen. Coley, OSCJC-Chair" <[email protected]>Cc: "Groseclose, Emily" <[email protected]>Bcc: "<[email protected]>" <[email protected]>, "<[email protected]>"<[email protected]>, [email protected], "Blakely, Beverly" <[email protected]>,[email protected], "Cameron, Jack" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "Collver,Geoffrey" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], "Cottrell, Dr.Jane" <[email protected]>, dconley@oca-ohio.org, [email protected], "Gall, Shilo"<[email protected]>, "Garrity, Bob" <[email protected]>, "Golphin, Jewel" <[email protected]>, "gov,SAMHSA" <[email protected]>, [email protected], "Herrel, Alaina" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "[email protected]" <[email protected]>,"Johnson, Betsy" <[email protected]>, "Jones, Ken" <[email protected]>, [email protected],[email protected], "Kelly-Hauser, Jessica" <[email protected]>, [email protected], "Kirkman,Michael" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], "McNeil, Meghan" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "Prutsman, Carole" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "Risser, Pat"<[email protected]>, "Schulman, Laura P." <[email protected]>, "Sigal, Laura" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "Stratton, Justice Evelyn"<[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>,[email protected], "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "Turocy, Mary"<[email protected]>, "Valentine, Lisa" <[email protected]>, [email protected],[email protected], "Aide, Rep. Butler-OHJC-Chair" <[email protected]>, "Aide, Rep. Stinziano-OHJC-Ranking" <[email protected]>, "HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Gonzales" <[email protected]>,"HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Hacket" <[email protected]>, "HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Ruhl" <[email protected]>,"HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Sprague" <[email protected]>, [email protected], "OHJC-Chair/HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Butler" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Celebrezze"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Conditt" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Hayes"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Letson" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Lynch"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Pillich" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Slaby"<[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep. Stebelton" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member, Rep.Winburn" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-Member/HB104-Sponsor, Rep. Stautberg" <[email protected]>,"OHJC-Ranking, Rep. Stinziano" <[email protected]>, "OHJC-ViceChair, Rep. Pelanda"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], "Aide, Sen. Brown-OSCJC-Member"<[email protected]>, "Aide, Sen. Burke-SB43-Proponent" <[email protected]>, "Aide,Sen. Coley-OSCJC-Chair" <[email protected]>, "Aide, Sen. Schiavoni-OSCJC-Member"<[email protected]>, "Aide, Sen. Schiavoni-OSCJC-Member" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "Groseclose, Emily" <[email protected]>, "Harrison, Gianna"<[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],"Jordan, Senator" <[email protected]>, [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], "OSCJC-Chair, Sen. Coley" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Bacon"<[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Brown" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen.Eklund" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Eucker" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member,Sen. Oelslager" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Member, Sen. Schiavoni" <[email protected]>,"OSCJC-Member/SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Seitz" <[email protected]>, "OSCJC-Ranking, Sen. Skindell"<[email protected]>, "OSCJC-ViceChair, Sen. Obhof" <[email protected]>, [email protected],[email protected], "SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Balderson" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen.Burke" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Kearney" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen.Sawyer" <[email protected]>, "SB43-Sponsor, Sen. Tavares" <[email protected]>,[email protected], [email protected], "Turner, Nina" <[email protected]>,[email protected], Alan Johnson <[email protected]>, Glenn Sheller <[email protected]>,Danielle Terrazzino <[email protected]>, April Friedman <[email protected]>, Rachel Varcho<[email protected]>, Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>
Dear Senator Coley, Chairman of the Ohio Senate Civil Justice Committee:
Please find attached my Witness Slip for the Civil Justice Committee hearing tomorrow, noting that I would like to
speak to:
1. Conflicts-of-interests that seek to suppress the mental-health consumer voice; and
2. The short-term and long-term solutions I have created to resolve Ohio's current mental-health crisis.
While I oppose SB43-- I do not oppose taking swift action to rectify Ohio's mental-health problem. In
the alternative to SB43, however, I would recommend that we implement the terms of the attached AOT-Law
Compromise. I created this proposal to assist Ohio's legislature in envisioning a long-term solution to the problem
at hand. The Compromise pulls the best arguments from both AOT proponent and opponent theories, into a
comprehensive proposal which supports the best-interests of the mental-health consumer.
Please find also attached, the theoretical summary for the AOT-Law Compromise. This document is much less
technical legally-speaking, and consequently, much easier to brief through and comprehend. I will copy Emily on
this email for purposes of submitting these two documents for posting to the CJC's website as my written testimony
for tomorrow's hearing.
As you will see in my Witness Slip, I have requested 12 minutes to speak at committee tomorrow. This constitutes 7
minutes for closing comments this week, and 5 minutes to make up for the last committee hearing-- wherein I was
denied the opportunity to explain my idea for compromise in front of the committee. I would greatly appreciate if
you would let me know whether 12-minutes will be possible-- and if not, what time-length will be allotted instead
so that I can appropriately prepare. I understand that the committee must work within limitations and restrictions,
so the best that you can do in either case, will be greatly appreciated.
I'm looking forward to meeting with you this morning, and sincerely hope there is still room for compromise.
Removing conflicting-interests still present in SB43 and adding mental-health consumer protections into the
equation, will allow us to resolve Ohio's mental-health crisis. The attached materials explain in detail, the
reasons why. But please do let me know if you have any questions or need any further detail. I am happy to assist
in any way possible.
Very Truly Yours,
Marissa K. Varcho
Attorney at Law
4799 Seven Lakes Place
Powell, Ohio 43065
4 attachments
MKV CJC Witness Slip Feb2014.pdf68K
MKV Ohio AOT Compromise Jan2014 (final).pdf154K
MKV-AOTcompromise-THEORY.pdf71K
NAMI Ohio's Feb2014 Suppression of the MH Consumer Voice.pdf685K
Marissa Varcho <[email protected]>
A Message from NAMI Franklin County
NAMI Franklin County <[email protected]> Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 7:06 AM
Reply-To: [email protected]
An Open Letter from NAMI Franklin County
Dear NAMI Franklin County Supporter:
There are times in life when difficult decisions must be made. NAMI Franklin County is, unfortunately,
not immune to such times. Upon careful consideration of our organization's commitment to serve
central Ohio communities relative to the current capacity of our organization's available resources, we
have had to reach a tough decision. We believe that ultimately, this decision best serves the needs of
the families and individuals we strive to help every day as well as the sustainability of our
organization.
Effective January, 31, 2014, NAMI Franklin County has suspended our Peer-to-Peer RecoveryEducation Program and our NAMI Connection Recovery weekly support groups for persons living withmental illness. It is important to note that these are the only two offerings suspended at this time - all
other NAMI Franklin County support groups and classes will continue as scheduled.
NAMI Franklin County has and will continue to consult with NAMI Ohio and the national offices of
NAMI for insight, guidance and support as we evaluate our capacity, programming and resources and
remain focused on helping and serving those who care for loved ones and individuals living with
mental illness.
NAMI's greatest strength is its people - our loyal members and dedicated volunteers. Your strength,
resilience and dedication nourish our capacity to help the countless people who reach out to our
organization each year searching for help, hope and healing. We welcome you to join with us as we
move forward, clarifying our vision and core values, and sincerely hope that in facing these
challenges collectively, we will maximize not only our impact in the community, but our capacity to
respond effectively and efficiently to your needs.
NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization. We are an organization of great
diversity that steadily has become more inclusive as we have grown. Within the NAMI family, there
sometimes are disagreements on issues, but there is always more that unites us than divides us.
When we work together, we have much more strength to help those who need us most.
NAMI is more than an organization, we are a movement and together, we can make the greatest
difference. Thank you for all you have done - and continue to do - to support NAMI Franklin County,
our families and the communities we serve at this time of change.
Sincerely,
Rachelle A. Martin Greta M. Kearns
Executive Director Board President (2013-14)
NAMI Franklin County
4500 E. Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43213
614-501-6264
www.namifc.org
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NAMI Franklin County | 4500 E. Broad Street | Columbus | OH | 43213
Tuesday February 4th, 2014 4:43pm !Well, tomorrow’s the last day of my freshman advocacy experience. I can’t wait! Because I am so completely and entirely exhausted, I…I couldn’t even begin to explain! But, I will try now anyway—because it’s so bittersweet and beautiful… !I’m not sure I even yet want to let it go. !I mean, I am preparing myself and all—in fact, I’ve already begun the process of doing so… !But bittersweet, it is…and it’s breaking my heart—over and over…with every step forward. !So I don’t know… !I just went and got some oratory books from Barnes & Noble—to read up on oratory skillz, you know ;0) !But, we shall see… !I have to tell you though—I had probably, the best conversation of my entire life today!! It was with a one, Senator Bill Coley ;0) !He’s not the senator of my district or however that works—but that’s all irrelevant in the one sense, that—and get this!!! Even despite being a Republican ;0) !He is the best ;0) !He is. !He listened to me. And he included me. He acknowledged me as an important part of the process and has considered my ideas and is working to help me to help my people—and I really do feel that he cares. I mean, if I’ve misjudged this man’s character, then…well, I don’t really know where that would leave me then… !But I will have faith in him, and believe him in his word—that he is going to figure a way to make happen for me, what he said he could do—namely: !Add a provision to Senate Bill 43, stating that an attorney shall be appointed to every AOT patient in all cases, without exception—until such time that the person going through the mental health crisis has been afforded a reasonable opportunity to make arrangements to obtain private counsel—taking into consideration, all relevant factors which may complicate the the making of those arrangements, such as detainment issues, the actual mental-health crisis of course, etc. etc. So that…would be, like…huge! I mean…that would be like, an awesome victory—for the mental-health consumer! But, even bigger… !I helped Senator Coley understand all this harm that keeps on happening out here. How we are all getting beat up out here, because of this awful stigma that comes along in having a serious mental illness. I explained to him what all happened with Adam, and supporting him through a double-lung transplant and how—once his “problem” was gone—how he no longer wanted to be with someone, whose issue would just be forever ongoing. I told him…I said, “Senator Coley—I settled a 2-year marriage for $30,000.” I said, “I’m not stupid…it’s just that I have a different set of strengths and weaknesses than most the rest. But if people just automatically assume I
am stupid, because I cannot easily fulfill their typical strengths—then that leaves me here living in a world, where I am considered less than a human being.” I cried. I didn’t do it on purpose…I just told him the whole story—what happened during the divorce, with Magistrate Elliot’s discriminatory ruling against me upon my request for help—the request wherein I’d publicly disclosed my struggles with mental illness. I cried when I told him that…I said, “Senator Coley—we’re getting beat up out here.” !;0( !But I swear to god I’ll have a heart attack and die of sadness if I am wrong in my perception that this man really did, in fact, care. And, I mean…this guy’s a republican from way back—but he wants to help me…and he has listened to me and he just wants to help me somehow. And I really feel too, that he actually does, appreciate me. And I hate to admit it because I’d have to be so heartbroken so soon after having to accept that I’d fallen so hopelessly in love with Geoffrey Collver to no possible avail, but… !I don’t know… !Heartbreak, is inevitable…and I’d daresay ;0) !Sometimes—so worth the risk of pain, nonetheless. !I don’t know—we’ll see… !But…