Hold your loved ones close

Re: “Mental hospital should be an option,” letter, Dec. 31.

De-institutionalization has not failed. We still have a place to house the seriously mentally ill population. It’s called Seven Oaks in Victoria. There are various houses to accommodate different needs.

Also, group homes may be in your own neighbourhood that let people live a normal life, within their means. They grow and change with the support of their case management team.

Years ago when the government dissolved institutions, it was for mainly to save money.

Mental-health professionals took on a new policy, to use psychosocial rehabilitation.

This policy gave people hope and let them live as independently as possible. Not to say there are no fails. But mentally ill people are followed and kept safe. Some clients resist because of structure and a lack of insight into their disease.

My take is, please hold your loved ones close; if you see any change or peculiarities, stay in there with them. Early diagnosis and medications can change this back to a better life.

Being mentally ill is exhausting; please don’t think less of their illnesses.

Anne Marie Wade Saanich