There have been a lot of shootings recently – in schools, Las Vegas and other places. People blame mental illness as the cause of this, but that is wrong. It perpetuates the stigma against mental illness.

In reality, most people who are mentally ill are not dangerous. Only a very, very small percentage are. Blaming mentally ill people for gun violence needs to stop. If you can envision two circles, one representing people with mental illness and the other representing people who are violent, the little part where they overlap is the very small percentage of people who are mentally ill and dangerous. This is less than 4% of people who are violent and dangerous.

If you believe that mental illness causes gun violence, strangely, you should see equal numbers of men and women using gun violence, but men far outnumber women when it comes to gun violence. This does not make sense, because both men and women can have mental illness, but both do not engage in gun violence.

When people who are mentally ill get ahold of a gun, they are more likely to use it for suicide purposes. They do not tend to shoot other people. If they do shoot other people, it is more often family members, friends or coworkers with whom they may have a grievance. The do not usually use guns for mass shootings.

Also, if you believe than mental illness causes gun violence, look at the rest of the world. The US has far higher numbers of gun violence than other countries such as Japan have far lower numbers. Mental illness is a universal phenomenon so the statistics do not make sense.

Even if psychologists and counselors diagnose people with mental illness, they cannot predict who will become violent and shoot people. There is more chance of recognizing risk of gun violence by looking at factors such as history of violence, including domestic violence and hurting others. History of two or more DUI convictions in five years also increases risk. Additionally, two or more convictions of drug-related crimes in five years are associated with increased risk of gun violence. Gun violence is typically correlated with rage, impulsivity, reaction to job loss or divorce and alcohol use.

People who suffer from mental illness often have no voice to defend themselves. They are more likely to be victims of crime themselves, than to conduct crimes against others.

Blaming mental illness as the cause of gun violence diverts our attention from the real causes. These are the need for gun control laws and for dealing with social and economic problems in society. These are the issues that we need to look at.

We need to stop targeting mental illness and look at the real causes so we can make improvements. If you see people blaming mental illness for gun violence, it is important that you correct them so they can disseminate the right information about gun violence This will help show support for people with people illnesses.

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Addiction Treatment Options for Deaf People: For Deaf people who are dealing with addiction (alcohol, meth, opioid, cocaine, etc.), the biggest and most common challenge, aside from asking for help, is the struggle to find accessible treatment programs where staff are fluent in ASL and knowledgeable about Deaf people and Deaf culture. With only a handful of inpatient and residential substance abuse programs available nationally, that are specifically focused on working with Deaf clients, the majority of Deaf people seeking support with addiction end up in hearing-centered programs where access is provided via interpreters.

Challenges in Treatment: In addition to Deaf patients having to deal with the mental, emotional and physical stresses that are typical aspects of the treatment and rehabilitation process, they must also deal with invisible stressors related to audism and oppression. The list of barriers to treatment for Deaf people is long and overwhelming. It can include the treatment program’s initial resistance to providing ASL interpreters; the energy and time expended on fighting for communication accessibility; having to work with counselors, social workers, psychologists and medical staff who are unfamiliar with Deaf people and who may exhibit audist behaviors toward the Deaf patient, whether intentional or not; having to live with, socialize with, and participate in group therapy and other activities with hearing patients who, like the staff, usually have no knowledge of or experience with interacting with Deaf people; constantly having to explain Deaf culture and norms to hearing clinicians, staff, and fellow patients (i.e., appropriate and inappropriate ways to get the Deaf patient’s attention, refraining from asking the Deaf patient to speak with voice); having to advocate for accommodations, including captions on videos and television and light flasher for room door; and limited options for rehabilitation support in the Deaf patient’s home community following discharge from inpatient treatment.

Ongoing Support with Recovery: Each of the challenges listed above adds additional stress to the already difficult and complicated recovery process. Dealing with the isolation of treatment can be traumatic for Deaf people whose lives may have been characterized by constant isolation if they were the only Deaf member of a non-signing hearing family or even if they came from a Deaf family but attended mainstream school programs without Deaf peers. Rehabilitation programs, while essential to recovery, can also trigger emotional wounds, making the recovery process even more complicated. To provide support, Deaf Counseling Center offers outpatient individual and family counseling with Deaf counselors and therapists who are fluent in ASL and experienced in working with Deaf clients. Please feel free to contact us at info@deafcounseling.com for more information.

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Al-Anon meetings are wonderful support resources for family members, partners, friends and others who know someone with a drinking problem. For Deaf people, finding ASL or interpreted Al-Anon meetings can be a challenge. If you live in the Middletown, Maryland area, a short drive from Frederick, weekly interpreted Al-Anon meetings are now being held on Wednesday evenings. Check out this link for more information:

https://www.facebook.com/melinni/posts/10153759141220886?comment_id=10153760366625886

Not sure about Al-Anon? Take this quiz to find out if an Al-Anon meeting is for you:

http://al-anon.org/affected-by-someones-drinking

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For more information, contact Signs of Sobriety, Inc. 100 Scotch Road, Ewing, New Jersey 08628

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A close-up look into the life of a homeless Deaf man with alcohol and drug addictions. Mental health and substance abuse issues are often present together. If you know someone dealing with an addiction, chances are, this person is also struggling with a great deal of emotional pain. Untreated addictions can lead to job loss, estrangement from family and friends, and homelessness. It is important not to judge Deaf people who are seeking support for addiction issues. Instead, offer to connect them with a counselor who can refer them to an appropriate treatment program. Deaf people do face many barriers to treatment, most prominently, the lack of ASL-accessible programs, but it is important not to give up.

Quick Estimates of Addiction Statistics (McCrone, 1994)

Out of 28+ million Deaf people in the US:
200,000 alcoholics
3,505 heroin addicts
31,915 cocaine users
5,105 crack users
97,845 marijuana users

McCrone, W. (1994). A two Year Report Card on Title I of the American Disabilities Act: Implications for Rehabilitation Counseling with Deaf People. Journal of American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association, 28(2), 1-20.

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Saturday September 8, 2012
Minnehaha Falls
4801 South Minnehaha
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55412

Click on the picture to make it bigger.

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Deaf People Seeking Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings: Whether you are a Deaf person who has been sober for many years or one who is struggling to take steps toward sobriety, you are probably more than aware that Deaf-friendly and accessible AA meetings are difficult to find. Many Deaf people rely on individual therapy sessions for regular support in dealing with addictions issues, but sometimes there is no substitute for the experience of gathering in an AA group. The power of connection and understanding can be important aspects of recovery.

We came across an app called “12 Step Meetings”, which enables users to locate nearby 12-step meetings. It lists the address, distance, and contact information, making it a handy tool for anyone seeking a 12-step meeting.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone made an app specifically for Deaf AA meetings? It could identify Deaf-run meetings and ASL-interpreted meetings. The app could even contain contact information in case advance notice about an interpreter request is needed. A great project for a Deaf app designer!

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Gallaudet University Library Book Review: An excellent review of the book, “The End of Overeating” by a Deaf librarian, Jim. Learn about how certain foods trigger emotions/addictive overeating and how to end emotional eating.

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DODA Announcement:

Deaf?

Have a problem with drugs or alcohol?

Want signed 12 step & support meetings?

Deaf Off Drugs and Alcohol offers Deaf 12 Step & support meetings led by Deaf facilitators.

All you need is a computer with a web-cam,
high-speed internet and an email account.

If interested, for more information, contact Mandie Roseberry:
(866) 326-4761 vp
(937) 222-2400 ext 239 v
amanda.roseberry@wright.edu

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