Reporting a Mentally Unstable Person

[rialtas]

As a psychology student I'm really interested in this... in scotland it's quite hard to be deemed mentally incompetent or ''crazy'', generally psychosis can be described, often by 999 calls when the person speaks about aliens or people after them. however its generally deemed ' short term' or something that hopefully wont label the person for life.

From studying psychology for four years and working with mentally ill people I know it's quite ignorant to label people as it often stays.

To be on topic though, some one who is disturbed or depressed or a danger to ANY person should not have a gun, at least until they recover.

[Patriot86]

To be on topic though, some one who is disturbed or depressed or a danger to ANY person should not have a gun

Thats the problem there, anyone here who tells you or anyone else they have never been depressed is a liar. I get depressed when the Bears or the Gators lose a big game sometimes, when I don't get the big order I have been after, stuff like that. People get depressed if they get divorced, if a family member dies, a dog died, their car breaks down. It is a normal thing, Everyone is depressed sometimes but depression is one thing, chronic depression is another so lets be clear.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Patriot86

Thats the problem there, anyone here who tells you or anyone else they have never been depressed is a liar. I get depressed when the Bears or the Gators lose a big game sometimes, when I don't get the big order I have been after, stuff like that. People get depressed if they get divorced, if a family member dies, a dog died, their car breaks down. It is a normal thing, Everyone is depressed sometimes but depression is one thing, chronic depression is another so lets be clear.

Being sad over a football game is (normally) a long way from anything recognized as "depression" in a clinical sense. Depression is not normal sadness related to single events. We made use the words "I'm depressed" but normal sadness and or disappointment is not "depression". A good many people have never been "depressed".

Originally Posted by rialtas

To be on topic though, some one who is disturbed or depressed or a danger to ANY person should not have a gun, at least until they recover.

I disagree with including depression in this statement, as a generic term. There are several types of depression and being depressed doesn't define a person as being a danger to themselves or others.

Originally Posted by Dr Strangelove

I believe only family should make these kinds of decisions. They know the person, they know what is normal behavior for that person. If you really feel like you should intervene, contact the person's family and lay out your concerns in detail. Don't be surprised if you get a hostile reaction.

What if they're family is as crazy as they are? I know someone whose only familial interactions are with their mother and their mother is as "crazy" as they are. What family member will report them? I'm not kidding either. They're both insane. There have been restraining orders from this persons behavior, many calls to the police. They still have guns.

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There's a big difference between someone who acts a little different than we would prefer, or is a little "eccentric", and someone who legitimately might be dangerous. The entire scenario is very complex. We WANT it to be difficult to have someone declared insane/incompetent/dangerous and lose their rights.... except when it's obvious that they are, then we wonder why it's so hard. Yet, if it were easy, anyone who decides they don't like us or doesn't like guns and doesn't want us to have them could cause real problems for anyone they choose for no reason.

[alloy]

Reporting a person to keep them from obtaining a firearm seems as futile as passing a law to keep criminals from obtaining firearms.

Or reporting a drunk, to keep him from ever getting some alcohol or a driver's permit.

Good luck!