Commentary: Revisiting Mental Health Treatment within Vermont

Photo: Vermont State House (taken by Morgan W. Brown).

Revisiting Mental Health Treatment within Vermont

The very nature of self-determination as well as independence would seem to dictate not merely having freedom of choice, but rather also include both the freedom and the right to ensure one's self-defined and self-expressed wishes, choices and decisions are not defined, limited, narrowed or controlled by outside influences, no matter how well-intended or well-meaning.

Each person needs to decide as well as do what is best for themselves and, as such, they are the only one who actually knows what that is during any given moment or circumstance.

When it comes to health care and, most particularly concerning mental health treatment and related matters, save (i.e., except for retaining one's own) true and actual freedom of choice regarding such decisions, this means that like most anything else in this life there are truly no absolutes, nor should there be any imposed on any person(s) by anyone else.

Hence, in order to ensure true parity between healthcare and mental health care treatment systems (versus merely addressing how these separate and unequal systems and services are paid for under the pretense of parity), the use of force and coercion within the mental health system needs to be completely done away with before these systems can truly become ones of empowerment for everyone involved. This would be real change, since it is what is sorely needed and because it is also very long overdue.

Whether on an inpatient, outpatient, or community basis, the use of force or coercion in mental health treatment is clearly wrong. Force and treatment do not go or work together. In fact, each works in opposition to the other.

Treatment that is free from the use of force or coercion in all forms embodies what is essential to what often becomes termed as recovery: i.e., person-hood, self-determination, hope, faith, responsibility, and independence, as well as interdependence.

Force and coercion only works to foster and enforce dependency, victimization, anger, violence, helplessness, and irresponsibility. Force and the fear as well as the intense anger and even rage it creates does not ensure safety or security; rather, it is the use of force that destroys them. Using force is easy. Choosing alternatives to force may at times appear to be difficult, yet it need not be impossible. Many options are available when force and coercion is not the governing paradigm.

Resources currently being employed to bolster the force/coercion paradigm could be better and more readily shifted and used instead to meet the basic human needs of individuals; needs that are either not met in a way of a person's choosing or not met at all.

It is my strong belief that it is possible for us as a state and society to finally rid ourselves of the terrible burden of force and coercion within the mental health system.

Doing so would be very liberating to mind, body and spirit on both an individual and collective basis, especially when sharing with and supporting each other as we journey into the unknown together.