Having Doubts?

I'd completely agree with you there but I don't know what the solution is for the mentally ill such as schizophrenics, etc.

I think the solution that i proposed for an outreach team is at least worthy of consideration.
Beachbumq, if you think the mentally are capable of making the choices that will consistently lead them down the shining path to the American Dream, then you are sadly misinformed. go have a chat with the mental Health professionals - you might learn some compassion and sensibility.

I was not speaking of the mentally ill. I was taking a side path about people who make conscious decisions to take drugs and wind up in similar circumstances.

The Crossroads Center in Antigua is a first class treatment facility that offers free drug and alcohol rehab for native islanders that otherwise couldn't afford treatment. Eric Clapton has done a heck of a job raising money from his guitar auctions and Crossroads Festivals. It's also open to anyone else in need of treatment for a price.

Thanks for clarifying that, beach.
I wish that people would start bring pressure to bear on the 'powers that be' to sit down with the docs at Juan Luis and at the Mental health clinic, shelter staff etc. The outreach program is backed by them and could be up and a-running in no time.
The mere act of squatting down beside someone in need and saying "hi, how is it going today?", can work wonders. The whole 'come into the clinic' routine is a loser from the start. It requires organizational and life skills that many of the homeless cannot muster.

Beach,
I understand what you are saying as well but, here is another way to look at the mental destruction cause by alcohol and drugs.
We still pay in the end as a society because they continue to drive, hence some pretty horrific accidents, they are most likely to be involved in a crime because of it, to pay for it, to sell it, or to commit phyiscal and psyhcological abuse on others ending sometimes in murder, hence landing in jail or prison where we still have to dole out the dollars to house and feed them anyway.
Often times the seat of their use comes from the stresses of their own personal environments, military experiences, and abuse they received as children, hence the need for our invention and prevention.
Life for us all, can change in a heartbeat, and who is to know how we ourselves would cope. I would like to think we would be given a helping hand before life spins beyond our own control, where the circle just continues on.

Most of the homeless that are characters in stx are drug/alcohol addicts. You have to get the addicts off the island. Even if there were proper facilities here it is just too much to overcome here for the newly recovered, drugs and alcohol are too cheap and too easy to get. Especially if you have no support system. Lets face it most of the homeless do not have that or they wouldn't be homeless.

Crossroads has a long term halfway house for men successfully completing their program. It is also on the island of Antigua. Not sure of any statistics, but it does reintroduce those seeking help back into society with a strong support system in place. The problem with many homeless addicts is that they don't always want help or recovery. But when the time is right for them and they want to seek help, I thought that it might be helpful for anyone to know that there is a world renowned program out there that is free for any Caribbean Islander. I'm not sure if they have any halfway programs in the Caribbean for women, but I do know that they have some stateside. Crossroads has a great and very informative website at: www.crossroadsantigua.org

I know that there can be resistance by some to receive treatment, and that is where we should be able to depend upon our court systems to require and enforce their treatment when they run a foul of the laws we have in place for the safety of others.
Yes, some of these folks don't get into trouble but, many of them do.
It is a right of everyone that the courts be committed (no pun intended, ha!) to this serious issue. And, it is a right for all of us to complain loudly when they don't.

The ACLU won't allow it. Remember they were the ones who basically said if you're not a danger to someone else or to yourself, you have a god given right to speak to your demons on the street.

Maui Girl it more then some resistance...even the ones that seek out help have a high failure rate. People usually fall off the wagon many times before they suceed in their recovery. Putting someone in involutarily is a waste of money. They will definitely be back to bad habits when they get out. No offense but your idea sound a little naive.

Our energy would be better spent on lifting up 2 people who want to help themselves by showing them opportunity, than to waste that energy on one who doesn't want help and won't contribute any energy themselves to improve their situation. Thinking we can rid the world of all the downtrodden is naive. Invest time and money where it gets a return rather than throw it away.

Promo,
I guess I wasn't clear about throwing people in jail and mixed up with the courts because they are mentally disabled. Thank you for pointing that out.
I was only talking about those people who have broken the law.

There is I believe, a high rate of success in the intervention of 1st time offenders. Giving anyone punishment however, is not enough without the tools to succeed. Education of the youngest of our communities is also key.
Yes, people fall off the wagon when they've had rehab. Not all but, still a high rate.
That's where a mandatory follow-up program works, and enforcement is difficult but, definitly key.
I would venture to say that there are AA programs on the islands, which help with a peer group recovery support system, religious organizations also have programs, and so do Governmental Social Services. Some of the long time users are of course more difficult, giving up on them is more naive.

How are you going to enforce someone to follow up? The government is already way too involved in our lives. Not everyone succeeds in life. You can't save everyone. And there is no point in wasting time with someone who doesnt want help, unless of course it is your own family. But even then you will find it a extremely draining process emotionally and physically, and everyone has their limits. If you baby an addict they will never recover, they have to want it.

Spot on Betty.

Maui Girl,
"Some of the long time users are of course more difficult, giving up on them is more naive"
Can you define what you mean by naive in this case? I would think there might be more appropriate adjectives you should have used to make your point than naive. Perhaps you could use uncaring, uncompassionate, selfish, but not naive.

Of course I would disagree with any of them anyway. I would say efficient...e.g. better utilization of limited personal and social resources, or maybe practical or logical. But not naive.

I am always open to learning, so I look forward to the education on why you felt naive was appropriate.

Betty and Beach,
I was not attacking you when I used the word 'naive', I was responding to the word that you both used. I am most happy that you are a part of this discussion, as well as you allowing me to be.
I was pointing out services that enhance rehabilitation, and why mandatory follow-ups should be in place. For the reasons of repeat offenses of crime and drunk driving of those that 'fall-off- the-wagon'.
I don't live in a bubble, neither do you, and neither do they. There will always be the temptation to abuse alcohol and drugs where ever you go. That is why mandatory follow-up programs work. Their purpose is to reinforce better ways to cope with their problems, and their addictive behaviours.
And, it can work when people are committed to making it work by seeing that the court system doesn't let them slip through the cracks of 'it's too hard'.
Is this exhausting? Sure. But, isn't it more exhausting when you have to worry about it in your daily lives?
There are people out there that are trained in the fields of mental health. Utilize them, find out what they do. They are there.
Do I want government intruding into my life? Hell NO. But, would I expect them to if I was breaking the already existing laws that are in place for the public's safety. And, they wouldn't be in place if the public didn't want them there.
Costs us money anyway you look. One option is to be continued to be robbed with a gun to our head, and the other option is to use our head, so that, the chances of that are greatly reduced.
Look in your island directories, there are programs there. Support there use by insisting that the Courts do too.
Heck, I just hate it when judges think we should blindly hand out paychecks for bad service.
Cindy

What?? I've reread what you wrote several times and it makes little sense to me. I'm actually not being sarcastic or rude but what the heck is your point or agenda. We were never talking about procescution but about how hard it would be for an addict to live in the usvi and recovery. You keep bringing in the legal system and I'm not sure why.

And if I had to worry about drunk drivers I wouldnt get anything done here. You can drive here with an empty container. People drive drunk in the usvi all the time, the only way you get caught is if you hit something badly. Not implying I agree with it at all but it is a fact of life here.

Sorry, gotta go,.....
I just fell off the wagon, and they're taking me to the gulag.

Please be sure to send a postcard...preferably with a beach scene and some bikinis in full display..