Years ago, people with mental health problems were often sent to the state mental hospital in Columbia. "Bull Street" carried a connotation of being crazy and unable to function in society. Most of the Bull Street complex has been closed because of age, said Anna Dozier-Kelly of Georgetown, chairman of the S.C. Mental Health Commission. "Stigma is a big problem," she said. "People call them crazy. Even though they may have a behavior problem, they're still people who need help," she said. "We try to ease the stigma" of mental illness. [continues 1705 words]
Drug abusers belong in jail. They're the dregs of society and there's no better place for them. That attitude is one I shared for a long time. As I've gotten older and wiser, I've suspected that's not really the case. A workshop I just attended in mid-June in Bal Harbor, Fla., backs up that suspicion with tons of scientific data. Research studies carried on throughout the country at many colleges, universities and medical schools all show that addiction to various drugs is a disease. The "social drinker" is generally not a problem, but the chronic - long-term - drinker is a problem. [continues 972 words]
