Hi,
I read the news a lot, and so I’ve read about people with mental illness, not just bipolar disorder, getting killed by the police because the police misunderstand the situation, or they just don’t know that the person has bipolar disorder (or some other mental illness). I read the headlines. I read a lot of headlines from all across the globe. I stay informed. I also post them on my website, so that you can stay informed, too. This is really important to me, because when I
started bipolarcentral.com, one of the most important things to me (and it still is) was to educate people about bipolar disorder. So I put up the Bipolar News on the website as one of the ways to do that. Anyway, sometimes I’m accused of posting only bad news, and some people really, really don’t like that, and they tell me so. But I tell them that even if you were to read just your own paper, or turn on the news on your local TV station, you would see all this bad news, too. It’s just all around us, unfortunately.
I just pick out the stories that apply to bipolar disorder, because those are the ones that you are interested in reading about. In my defense against those people who accuse me of only printing bad news, well, I don’t. I print all the news I can find that has to do with bipolar disorder. My intent, just like it always was, is just to inform. Unfortunately, I guess these people are kind of right. I wish there were more positive news about bipolar disorder. That’s what one of the things is about my mission is. I want people to learn more about bipolar disorder so that they will become more educated and not be so afraid of people who have the disorder. If people are more educated, they won’t be so afraid. Then, maybe, we won’t see so many tragic headlines.
Speaking of sad stories, at one time there was a headline found in New Jersey that hit home for me. Yea, it was really sad. But it has a bipolar lesson to it, so I have to share it with you.
Michele who works for me, her cousin’s 23-year-old son was shot and killed by the police. He had a knife, and was surrounded by a squad of police, and they just shot first. Unfortunately, what the headlines didn’t say was that Jake had bipolar disorder and was in a manic episode at
the time, because he hadn’t been taking his medication. Now, you’re familiar with bipolar disorder. You do understand that, in a manic episode, your loved one is not in their right mind. They aren’t thinking rationally. Who knows if Jake even understood what was happening to him? The point was, here was this young man, surrounded by all these police, all these guns pointed at him, and he probably didn’t even know what was happening. And there was no one there to intervene on his behalf.
In some types of bipolar disorder, the person can become violent during an episode. They may have hallucinations or delusions during an episode and not know what they’re doing, and it may lead to some type of violence. Even if they don’t have this type of bipolar disorder, their disorder may change somewhere down the line, and they may become violent. So whether your loved one has ever been violent before or not, you need to be aware of what to do if they ever do become that way. Even if they don’t become actually violent, there may come a time when they are so out of control and you are so afraid that you have to involve the police. Or maybe you’re not even so afraid for yourself, but for your loved one.
Sometimes, in an episode, a person with bipolar disorder will threaten suicide. And you may not be able to handle it by yourself. So, in any of the cases, like I’ve mentioned, the police may need to be involved. This is the bipolar lesson I talked about earlier. There are some things you should know before you involve the police. Especially for your loved one’s sake. Because there still hasn’t been enough education in the community and in police departments to necessarily keep them from killing a person in a bipolar episode rather than just subduing them first and getting them the help they need. Probably the most important thing you need to know is
this: Should you have to call the police on your loved one, STAY (if at all possible) until the police arrive, so that you can explain to them that your loved one has bipolar disorder. In many states, it will make the difference between your loved one going to the hospital or going to jail.
If there is some reason you cannot stay, then make sure when you do call the police, that you tell them that they will be dealing with someone who has bipolar disorder. Again, it may mean the difference between your loved one going to the hospital or going to jail. As a supporter, I’m sure you would rather see your loved one get the help they need rather than go to jail just for being in a bipolar episode. Many times, the police will bring with them a mental health professional who will help them assess the situation and/or your loved one’s condition. Unfortunately, Jake did not have this luxury. Had there been a mental health professional on the site, he may have stood a better chance of living.
Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
Post responses below
Even when a parent calls 911 for assistance and explains that there is a medical problem, the police often STILL go ahead with an arrest. The arrest goes on a person’s PERMANENT RECORD, negatively affecting school admission and job interviews and hiring.
The choice to go with arrest rather than mediation or heading directly to the hospital is also often made based on the race of the police vs the race of the person and family needing help.
Please continue to work to change this. Please.
I’m a retired Police Dispatcher, bi-polar supporter, type 2 bi-polar patient.
Every Police Dept needs education about the various mental illnesses &
what to expect from patients when they go on a call. Officers get more tense when they know the trouble person on a call is mentally ill before they get there, & if a weapon is involved, that makes the tension & even fear level skyrocket. With the financial situation in Michigan, I know of no PD able to afford a mental care professional to go on these calls. They much prefer a family member or friend to be there to talk to the person in crisis. Bottom line – someone in the grip of whichever mental illness, who may also be on street drugs (responding officers can’t be sure), armed with a stick, knife, gun, etc….may be able to kill one or more trained officers w/guns. Yes, the threatening person is mentally ill, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok for that person to maim or kill a Police Officer! Luckily, more PD’s are using tasers – not painless, but definitely less deadly than guns. Not a perfect solution, but a huge step in the right direction.
Law enforcement is not trained to recognize a person with a mental disorder versus one that is truly acting with criminal intentions. On two occasions my loved one who suffers from Bipolar disorder was hand and feet shackled by two law officers she weighed about 115 lbs and at the time she was 19 years old and was also being harassed making matters worse. Another time two officers transferring her to hospital irritating her as they left . Myself and our lawyer were witness to this as she arrived at the hospital.
I wish when the cops beat me and dislocated both my shoulders that they would have just filled me with lead. The anxiety and post trematic stress suck. Has it occurred to people that some of us who are bipolar don’t really want the hangnail of committing suicide but don’t want to be here either. Somewhere deep inside I think during my last manic episode that I wanted the cops to kill me. Even with the meds, including happy pills, I’d rather be dead. I’m slowly hoping that something really big will happen, mainly with my career so I can feel self sufficient again but at some pace I will have to finnish the gun that I have made and do it myself. Cops can’t be trusted again to finnish the job.
you are doing great service which of course will reward u in htis life n life here after. blessings. btw how do i have a website of meself. i am on ds under omarc71 loook it up – if u havent already 🙂 whats ur ds code name? blessings
Just read Jake’s sad story. Is there any way you can get a petition for so many of us, to sign and submit, to the proper authorities regarding what’s in your post? A petition would go a long way in helping. Are you oh Facebook, another great tool to use for petitions, causes, etc. Thanks in advance, Andrea
Dear David,
It is seared into my memory the day my daughter was picked up and badly mistreated by 4 police officers ( she had been acting very oddly and and you’re right she didn’t know what she was doing ) and no one was there to tell the police officers that my daughter was in the middle of a bipolar event. My daughter does however remember much of what happened to her in the police cells. Rachel had never ever before in her life been at the mercy of the law enforcement and for that matter neither had I.
she managed to call me from the police station eventually ( after she had been sat on by 2 cops in the back of a paddy wagon after her arrest, all her clothing forcibly removed from her at the entrance to her cell before being thrown in. She had the presence of mind at some stage to demand a phone call and immediately Rachel called me, she then handed the phone to the desk sergeant for me to speak to him about my daughters condition. I referred the police officer to duty of care of unwell people in his care and demanded she be assessed by a doctor or psychiatrist.immediately and that I would be arriving on the first flight to Auckland – my daughter had better be physically ok when I got there.
The trauma of violent arrest and assault has NEVER left my daughter.She will never trust another policeman – and neither can I ( my son is a police officer and he has never successfully explained to me the police tactics in this episode)
The one thing that I find disturbing is this: when I have had the occasion to ring the mental health hotline here because my daughter is unwell and needs help- they say ” If she is violent hang up and ring the police”. The police( my son says) are caught in a no win situation – he agrees many police officers have no idea how to handle out of control mentally unwell people- but when the police themselves call for mental health workers back up to help with the arrest and restraint of an unwell person – the Mental health workers say that it is a police job to apprehend the person – MHW will come when that has happened . So usually the MH worker arrives a long time after the initial event has taken place. Go figure.
We are blessed with the fact that from that terrible day to this Rachel has steadily stabilized – she is in full control of the management of the condition . I am so proud of her, and we have Plan A,B &C when things begin to unravel and with Rachel’s input and approval we are prepared for all sorts of events now.
Thank you for your blog it serves to remind me how much my daughter ( and I) have progressed from the very first time I read your blog and with your help I certainly am the wiser parent.
When you stop taking the BP Drugs you get a withdrawel effect and act worse then ever. You must get off them slowly with Drs help.
When you get the withdrawel effect the quacks love it and say this is proof you need to be drugged for life.
The drugs destroy the hippocampus, frontal lobe and the cerebrium, such damage causes the behaviour the drugs are ment to treat, thus mental illness is iatrogenic. As mine is.
Dear Dave and readers, Tks. again for all the work you do. I’ve always appreciated the headlines you report. I’m an alcoholic, and I also live w/bipolar disorder. The so-called ‘bad news’ simply serves as a reminder to ME abt. why I take my meds RELIGIOUSLY, everyday. I don’t wanna be on the evening news after NOT taking them, and hurt myself, someone else, our loved ones, the innocent by-standers, or all of the above. And I wear a Medic-Alert necklace that will speak for me if I cannot, to the police or other authorities. I don’t have any real ongoing support fm. my family of origin; most of them are back in MN and I’m in CA. I do, however, attend an excellent mental health clinic, and have been taking related classes there of late. I’m sure I have it quite a bit easier than some w/bipolar disorder. Tks. for letting me share. –Lynn, alcoholic, survivor/thriver*
*meaning, I survived breast cancer this yr., utilizing many of the tools I learned in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Dave Good Mornin,
U R Right, I myself have gone through manic moods when I can see people R afraid of me or at least can tell Im manic, what I wanted to say was once a Dr., phys. told me not to tell anyone i had this bi-polar manic depressive condition yet I believe it should be the oppisite.Then maybe more help would be available?? I think doctors who treat us should have to retire after say 10-20 yrs as they become burnt out frrom hearing our crap.
Hello Dave and all. It is sad story, well, it is so common of those countrys whom love guns and violence so much, .. for examples, US, Russia, Brasil, etc.. I say this is more a cultural than just Bipolar things. yes, I do get otherside storys also.. police point of view. as I said, TOO MANY GUNS in street and too many peoples willing to use them. But good advice to those countrys where police is so willing to use guns. Here in finland, not so much. Them use guns really extreme situations and super rare. It is good that my wife is not physically violent, she use verbal violent when she is “on mood”. But at lately much less because we seems to find good med for her and good dose, *crossing fingers*, and she does eat meds. Best wishes for all, Pekka, from Finland
I got a call from a dear friend that “there was something wrong with my husband” while he was away on business in Costa Rica. I knew he must be in a manic state, so I got on the first flight to meet up with him in Miami. I arrived at the airport I searched for him, asking everyone if they had seen him, and even told security that he was in a manic state. The next morning, I still could not find my husband and contacted security. They wouldn’t help me. I began calling hospitals. My friend at home searched the internet and sure enough my husband was arrested and was in a Miami jail. He was tazored 5 times, and it didn’t even affect him. It was only by Gods grace that they didn’t shoot him. iI called the jail and they wouldn’t release any information to me. I had to told them what I found on the internet before they would even admit that they had him in custody. I told them that he was bipolar and in a manic episode, they shrugged it off. It was unbelievable to me! On a positive note: My husband finally believed his diagnosis of Bipolar disorder and began taking medication and is now living a normal life. Yes, he still has his struggles, especially with memory loss during a manic phase, and extreme agitation. BUT he is not to the extreme mania that he had without it.