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| We have Miles to Go on the Enlightenment and Stigma Fronts Comments on the Andrea Yates Tragedy in Texas It is disheartening, however, to hear even educated, mental health professionals voice the opinion that the courts should show this woman no mercy. I don't know how much louder she could have screamed for help and not been heard when everyone who knew her said that she was a totally different person than the kind, loving, generous, care taking woman that they knew. The ignorance in society, even among educated people with good jobs, that this situation exemplifies is mind boggling. This family apparently was closely connected with a church and its pastor, knew their neighbors, and had close family members with whom they were involved. How ever under treated she may have been, and I think there can be little doubt that she was under treated, she had sought professional help. My questions are why in the world was she on Haldol instead of a new generation drug, and why was it stopped without substituting another antipsychotic when she had shown signs of psychosis? Why was she left to care for 5 vulnerable children under age 7, including a baby, when she was not even able to care for herself? Articles describe the home as having been in complete disarray, so it must have been apparent to even the casual observer that this woman was not functioning well enough to care for children. How in the world do these things happen? What a travesty it will be if we compound this inestimable tragedy by putting this woman in jail for life, or by executing her, albeit, I can imagine that she would find the latter a blessed surcease of her earthly sorrows. I hope that this incident does serve to enlighten the public, but I am afraid, from the comments I've heard from those who should already be enlightened, that wish may not come to fruition. However far we have come, NAMI and its allies have miles to go on the enlightenment and stigma front before we sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NAMI National Director and NAMI Texas President issue a statement on the Andrea Yates Sentencing. Andrea Yates’ crime shocked the nation... Did the antidepressants prescribed help, or did they contribute? Follow up Houston Chronicle By Ruth Rendon After two months of incarceration, Andrea Pia Yates, the Clear Lake mother who has admitted to drowning her five children, is slowly getting better and is being treated with an antipsychotic drug often prescribed to those hearing voices, her brother said Thursday. Since her arrest at her suburban home on June 20, Yates, who was then described as being in a zombie-like state, is getting along with fellow inmates in a psychiatric unit of the Harris County Jail, Andrew Kennedy said of his youngest sister. "She's continuing to improve," said Kennedy, who last spoke to his sister over the weekend. "She is coherent and talking more." ... Kennedy said his sister is taking Haldol, the potent prescription drug given to psychotic patients hearing voices or thinking delusionally. He said his sister also is taking other medications but was not certain which ones. Doctors have said that patients taking Haldol function normally but are subject to relapses when taken off the medication and are at risk of injuring themselves or others. A day after the drownings, Russell Yates told reporters his wife had been on Haldol but had been taken off the medication. He said his wife was taking Effexor and Remeron, both antidepressants, at the time of the killings and was taking Wellbutrin, an antidepressant. Kennedy said his brother-in-law had been pleading with doctors to put his wife back on the Haldol medication. When first jailed, Andrea Yates, 37, was under suicide watch and was held in isolation. Her brother said she would mostly cry and had a blank stare. She has since been moved into a cell with other psychiatric inmates. She spends her day visiting with other inmates, cleaning her cell, exercising, reading letters and talking to a chaplain, Kennedy said. "She is doing real good. She's helping them out," Kennedy said of his sister aiding fellow inmates. (extracted from article in Houston Chronicle)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yates case could lead others to help By Analisa Nazareno San Antonio Express-News Pamphlets for postpartum depression support groups and resources for the mentally ill lay next to the five white ceramic angels and the chrysanthemums at the makeshift memorial on the lawn of the Houston area home where Andrea Yates is accused of drowning her five children. Mom's sanity at issue The little bit of good that family members can fathom from the great misfortunes that have hit their loved ones is that others who have suffered through mental illness or are concerned about their mental health may now seek help. "Don't be afraid to talk about it," said Andrew Kennedy, Yates' brother. "If you see someone who needs help, talk to them about getting help. We knew there was something wrong, but we didn't know that she had thoughts about killing her children. I think this could have been prevented." In San Antonio, a patchwork safety net ensures that those wanting help likely will get it, if they stay patient on the telephone. "Community mental health resources are very fragmented, and finding the right place to turn can be a challenge," said Steve Herlich, a spokesman with the Southwest Mental Health Center, which primarily serves children but also helps adults with counseling. Calling the United Way Helpline, a 24-hour crisis line for people who are feeling suicidal or are suffering through depression, nets a conversation with a crisis worker who can tell the caller about counseling services and support groups in the community. Occasionally, though, callers will get a recorded message asking them to wait. "It is real people, and they do answer the phone," said Maria Falcan, the crisis unit coordinator for the Center for Health Care Services. " And a lot of individuals do access the service." Falcan said her center, a nonprofit organization that serves as an emergency safety net for people with little or no income, sometimes sees up to 150 clients with mental health needs a week. She and others worry that there is still a stigma attached to seeking help. "People still don't reach out," said Frances Wise, the executive director for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in San Antonio, a group that advocates for better mental health resources. Wise said she didn't think the events in Houston will result in society rethinking mental health, as the killing of Nicole Brown Simpson had people rethinking domestic violence. "I think we are beginning to see some shifts, but I think we have a long way to go," she said. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in San Antonio also has depression support groups. Some mental health advocates have expressed concern that the Houston tragedy might hinder some women suffering from postpartum depression from seeking help because of the association with the killings. But they also are saying that Yates' is probably suffering from a more severe problem than depression. She was suicidal at one point and was taking Haldol, a drug associated with treating psychosis. Dr. Claudio Cepeda of the Southwest Mental Health Center said Yates fits into the classic mold of someone who was suffering through too much stress. She cared for her father, who had Alzheimer's disease; home-schooled her children; gave birth; then lived through her father's death. |
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