The majority of people who experience symptoms do not seek treatment, either. These fears are not without justification, she added. I don t know about urban areas, but people who live in suburban or rural communities know what it s like to have everyone know everyone s business. We fight for change in legislation, we fight for better insurance coverage, but the backdrop to all of this is still the stigma. Working the system Fear of stigma has led many patients to bypass the mental health care system and appeal to family physicians or pediatricians for Ritalin or Prozac.
People can live with the idea of having an adjustment disorder.
Even if people can be persuaded to seek treatment, they won t find the system easy to navigate or particularly welcoming. The Surgeon General s report described the nation s mental health system as a mishmash of restrictions, inequities, inadequacies and funding difficulties. Walker is angry at the subterfuge patients must resort to in order to receive care. First of all, it s hard for people to get treatment unless they are a danger to themselves or others and by then it may be too late. Our system is mentally ill.