Angels on Earth

Angels on Earth

The lobbyist for psychiatrists denies any "mistreatment" of patients.
(EUGENE J. FIERMAN, "Toward better mental-health care," Letter, Boston Globe,
November 13, 2007) [The Mass Psychiatry Society's stated mission is "MPS
represents the majority of psychiatrists in Massachusetts."] Well, duh. If a
person is mentally ill he cannot know he is being mistreated. Only a
psychiatrist can know that. Only a psychiatrist can tell if a person is mentally
ill, except for parents, children, relatives, police, prosecutors, journalists,
neighbors and everyone. So why do we need psychiatrists?
This is a most self serving letter, like most letters from psychiatrists.
If the laws protecting persons with disabilities were applied to persons accused
of mental illness the abuses might be reduced. But lawyers won't litigate those
laws.
Few psychiatrists know the laws regarding persons with disabilities. They
don't want to know those laws. They are above the laws and morally superior to
laws. They are incapable of mistreating patients. They are only motivated by
doing good. Their genes have been cleansed of greed, mendacity and sadism. They
are pure goodness.
Having a separate rule for persons accused of mental illness in emergency
rooms is not just stigma, (RACHEL ANN KLEIN, Letter, Boston Globe, November 13,
2007) it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act,
and Mass General Laws Chapter 151 B. There is no rational reason why doctors
believe persons accused of mental illness are any more dangerous than persons
not so accused.
Because the psychiatric lobby is more powerful than the laws there is no
will to stop these abuses of the rights of persons with disabilities.
Psychiatrists are incapable of mistreating patients. Are they also
incapable of violating laws? Why does the Boston Globe treat psychiatrists as if
they are godlike? Who has these editors fooled so thoroughly?

Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Toward better mental-health care
Letter
Boston Globe
November 13, 2007

THE MASSACHUSETTS Psychiatric Society welcomes Susan Stefan's comments ("Wrong
place for mental-health care," Op-ed, Nov. 7), but does not agree that there is
an established pattern of mistreatment that clearly requires regulation of
hospital emergency departments. The society does believe that there is a place
for appropriate use of emergency departments in the care of some mentally ill
patients, especially in cases of life-threatening psychiatric emergency and/or
the need to assess and treat concurrent medical illness. However, we strongly
agree with Stefan that the real answer for the care of most patients lies in a
comprehensive rebuilding of inpatient and community-based mental health services
that have been devastated by too many years of budget cuts.
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Dr. EUGENE J. FIERMAN
President
Wellesley

DR. JAMES Sullivan ("ER staff need options for security," Letters, Nov. 9) is
right in stating that emergency departments need to be able to restrain and
isolate patients when necessary. However, the proposed legislation would not
limit that ability. It would reduce the use of unnecessary and excessive force,
and would give people recourse to a complaints system. It would also encourage
education for emergency staff in de-escalation techniques, reducing the
potential for injury to staff and patients. Research has shown that people with
psychiatric diagnoses are more likely to be victims of violence than
perpetrators. The view that all people with psychiatric histories pose threats
to staff and patients in emergency departments is based on stigma and ignorance,
not fact.

RACHEL ANN KLEIN
Watertown

The writer is vice president of the board of M-POWER.