The mental health system, at least in Texas, is horrible. You can't get anyone treatment unless they are considered a danger to themselves or others. This pretty much means they have to threaten or committ physical violence against themselves or someone else before psychiatric treatment can be forced upon them. There are MANY out there who do not get to that point, but could have much better lives if there was a more proactive approach to their care. A lot of them end up on the streets or being taken advantage of by others. I don't agree with locking them up for life, but I also don't agree with "protecting their rights" so much that they can't get help they obviously need.
My job deals with these issues and I can't tell you the number of heartbreaking situations that we have that we can't do anything about. Many families do all they can, but they become burnt out both emotionally and financially trying to help their family members.
