Street Crazy

Street Crazy: The tragedy of the homeless mentally ill, copyright 1998 by Stephen B. Seager, M.D., is as much of a memoir of the psychiatrists time dealing with mentally ill homeless in a Los Angeles hospital, as an expose on the sorry state of affairs that leaves mentally unstable people roaming the streets.

Sandwiched in the 197 book, Seager does give history lessons, regarding both mental illnesses and their treatments and homelessness. I have heard so often that Reagan "set them free" (mentally ill) that he is the cause of so many mentally disturbed people living on the streets, that I believed this was true.

Seager's book traces this happening back to President Eisenhower in 1956 forward. 1965 President Johnson, Medicare bill gave insurance to elderly with no regard to income, followed by Medicare which provided federal funds to "state run health programs for the indigent" with no age limitations.

Seager states the most common mental disorders among street people are: major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Major depression could lead to homelessness as well as finding oneself homeless could lead to suicidal depressions. I suspected that the bipolar label was just handy to stick upon people because I met so many bi- polars in Long Beach ~ both homed and homeless.


Being quickly labeled as such myself which I disagreed with after reading a lot on the disorder, only intensified my suspicion that many of us are being misdiagnosed. Seager wrote: "...loud colors traditionally appeal to bipolar patients...". Of course that may not hold true for all those with the disorder, yet I never liked loud colors. My style of dress tended to be woman in black, like Johnny Cash. I like solids, dislike with a passion, stripes, polka-dots and patterns.


The exception to that is when I bought L.A. Gear high-top sneakers with double laces. One pair standard black, the other neon green. Other than that I always preferred clothes that let me blend in with the wallpaper.


I am like many Seager spoke about, refusing to take prescribed medications. I am glad that people have a choice and can just say no to drugs. Yet some of the homeless in Street Crazy truly should not be on the streets or allowed to refuse treatment. I have read about that minority among the homeless, that costs the government the most money. Seager's tale gives examples of some of those people who are admitted to hospital after police find them wandering down the middle of the 91 Freeway ~ for instance ~ discharged only to return a few months later.


Some of those individuals are seriously deranged ~ read the book to find out exactly why. "How can someone make a choice when they're demented and psychotic?" was asked in Street Crazy.

There is a sample of the book online; did not load on library computer, so just linking the site itself. Though this book is small it packs a wallop.

http://www.streetcrazy.com/