The article highlights the ongoing mental health crisis in New York, exemplified by an incident on the subway involving a man in obvious distress. Despite available services for the mentally ill, many individuals have deteriorated to a point where they cannot seek assistance. The author, a psychiatrist, emphasizes that it is a societal failure when individuals suffering from mental health issues are ignored and left in dangerous situations due to misinterpretations of legal obligations among first responders. Governor Kathy Hochul's proposals for improvements are welcomed yet signify deeper systemic issues still needing addressing.
A person can get so sick that they don’t know they are sick. When that happens, we cannot expect such a person to seek help, and they don’t.
People in severe mental distress can cause us to recoil when they really need us to reach out and help. We are failing them as a society.
Collection
[
|
...
]