Blog Archives
40 Years Ago…
On January 22, 1973 the American Supreme Court decided that abortion would become legal, thanks to Roe v. Wade. Canada has had unrestricted abortion access since 1989.
We still have a long way to go in terms to better access and eliminating the stigma around abortion but I am confident we will get there!
Today I celebrate my right to reproductive health and my right to choose!
Gov. Christie commits to ‘fully implementing’ mental health treatment law
What is this law you may ask? Well, it’s a law that can force you to take medication, attend therapy and if you do not comply then you will be forcibly put in the hospital. Do you feel safe yet?
Gov. Christie commits to ‘fully implementing’ mental health treatment law
By Susan K. Livio and Brent Johnson/The Star-Ledger
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie tonight committed to “fully implementing” a mental health treatment law that he said has gotten off to a sluggish start because of a lack of interest by treatment providers and court officials, according to his spokesman.
Earlier this week, it wasn’t clear when the Christie administration would roll out the “involuntary outpatient commitment” law, which gives judges discretion to demand people take medication and go to therapy if they pose a danger to themselves or others in the “foreseeable future.” If they fail to comply, they can be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital.
The law is getting extra attention because of the rash of mass shootings involving people who are diagnosed or speculated to have a mental illness.
“If the governor really does believe that mental health is an issue of importance, as he has stated on numerous national news programs, he should put his money where his mouth is,” Codey said.
At a press conference today to announce a task force to reduce gun violence, Christie blasted Codey for getting his facts wrong.
“I fully funded it my first year in my budget,” the governor said. “It was the toughest budget I had to deal with, and I fully funded it because of my commitment to the program. But I’ve been informed by my administration since then that we can’t find enough people to fully phase this thing in who want to do it.”
Christie’s remarks, however, contradict statements made by his state Human Services Commissioner, Jennifer Velez, and a letter to treatment agencies from then-Deputy Commissioner Kevin Martone in August 2010. Velez and Martone’s letter announced the law would be indefinitely delayed because it had been approved by the previous administration without any money to expand treatment programs. The state’s finances were stretched too thin to afford it that year.
When asked for clarification after today’s press conference, Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts offered a different interpretation of the governor’s remarks, and a pledge that “the Department can now credibly plan for full implementation, given the governor’s commitment, as outlined today.”
The legislation estimated the program would cost $10 million a year for treatment and training for judges in every county. Roberts declined to say whether the remaining $8 million or any of those funds would be included in the upcoming budget Christie will introduce on Feb. 26th.
Roberts stressed how after “emerging from a historically difficult budget year, Governor Christie made it a priority to provide $2 million in resources to get this program finally started after it was signed into law and left completely unfunded by the Legislature and prior Administration.”
Essex, Warren, Union, Burlington and Hudson counties launched their programs and began enrolling chronically ill patients in late summer. Ocean County expected to begin enrolling patients in the spring, according to information from the department earlier this week.
As of late fall, about 25 patients had been enrolled from the five counties — evidence of a “tepid” response from the community, Roberts added.
Mental Health Registry
I am seeing on Twitter many people commenting on how the NRA (National Rifle Association) proposed that the government create a mental health registry. Oddly enough I can find headlines which mention it but no articles or videos that do, so I guess I can’t do to much with this topic except what I say right here.
First, I need to keep reminding myself that I live in Canada. Stupid ideas such as this one do not affect me and I am so sorry to my followers or random readers who live in the USA and experience mental health issues who’s lives can be directly effected by idiots such as the NRA.
To state my position bluntly. Should there be a mental health registry?
To further show you my position:
Now that we understand what I think I can explain why.
This hypothetical registry would mean that a person with a mental illness would be known to the government. They could be watched, tracked and have zero privacy. I can only imagine what this would do for individuals who experience paranoia around government being in their lives. Suddenly their beliefs are more real than everyone wanted to acknowledge.
The NRA would rather people be tracked and monitored due to a health issue, over the inanimate object, a gun, that is more at the heart of the problem then mental illness will ever be? Ok….what shit logic is that?
I can only imagine what this would do for employment, schooling, parenting etc of those experiencing a mental illness. I think it would be devastating. Individuals turned down for jobs, adoption, child custody, school admissions. Ugh!
Some seem to be interested in the idea of a mental health registry and I can only assume that these people have not experienced a mental health issue. As someone with a mental health issue I would just not idly by as people proposed making my health an offensive that needs to be tracked like a sex offender.
This is not the answer. This isn’t even worth hypothetically being talked about.
Appreciating My Period
I will only appreciate my period for today because it’s causing me a lot of pain but I shall explain.
President Barack Obama has been elected by the American people for another 4 years!
If I was American I would have voted for Obama. In Canada I vote for the New Democrats Party (NDP). If you think Obama is a socialist you should check out the NDP’s and maybe even more scary for some Americans is that Canada is loving the NDP’s!
But I’m off track.
Today I got my period but it is reminding me of a right that I have in Canada that stood to be taken away from the American people if Romney had been elected.
My period today is a reminder that I chose.
I chose to be intimate with my partner because I love him and that is our agreed way of expressing that love.
I chose to use contraception so we could chose when to have children and to protect ourselves from STI’s.
My period is a symbol of choice and now I’m choosing not to experience these horrible cramps (that are spreading down to my feet) by medicating myself!
This….woman…..
If there is one person I wish did not exist. It is Ann Coulter.
It is not often you have a strong female voice in politics and it’s quite devastating that the voice women are looking for it being found in Anne Coulter.
Here is a most recent example of her shameful behaviour
And not to mention her most recent book….which I will not advertise on my blog by linking…..
That is all I have to say, thank you.
Let Me Tell You About Canadian Healthcare
Yesterday, while checking out The Huffington Post, I came across this Obama healthcare attack ad by American’s for Prosperity. What makes this ad even more slimy than it already is, is that the ad is focused around a Canadian woman named Shona Holmes who after being put on a wait list to see a doctor about went to the US for treatment.
So, AforP wants you American’s to know that this ONE woman’s story is the reason why you should not receive healthcare similar to what Canada has.
This is really not fair.
I will not sit here and deny the wait list problem. My partner had a bad ear infection a few months ago and was given drops and had an appointment made to see an ear, nose and throat doctor for two months later. We were both dumbfounded because we knew the problem would have cleared up by then and it did.
I myself have sat on counselling and psychiatrist wait lists and expect there will be more wait lists in my future.
I do not see this as a downfall to the system although it is a problem. I was born into this government run healthcare system and I love it.
I don’t have to think about whether or not I can afford to see the doctor or if it’s covered under my insurance. I just go. In my 23 years of living I have only EVER paid for my own personal prescription medication and even then my parent’s/Michael’s 
health insurance covers 80% of the total cost so I am never paying full price.
I find it difficult to belief, although I do not doubt it happened, that if doctor’s thought Shona was going to die that they would have bumped her up the list. When I attempted suicide I was allowed to by pass the wait list and go straight into counselling.
Even then if she still sat on the wait list despite the high risk of death then that shows a problem with doctor availability, not a problem with the system. Ontario, where Shona and myself are from, has had an issue with being short of healthcare staff in the past.
I feel like Shona’s story is one of privilege. How many Americans could even afford to go into a doctor and get a diagnosis? I’m sure the procedure was expensive for her but she had the opportunity to go to another country and pay for the procedure. Not even many Canadians, let alone Americans, can afford to do that.
It has seemed to me that the problem with American health care is that they do have some of the best doctors and treatments in the world but NO ONE CAN AFFORD THEM! It is a system that allows the rich to buy their health. In Canada, at least everyone has to wait.
We Canadians can’t claim a perfect system, that would be a lie. I can claim however that I will most likely never have medical debt. I will never be denied insurance coverage because of a “pre-existing condition”. I can claim that I can be served by any doctor at any clinic and any hospital.
I also have a personal vendetta against American healthcare involving a family member which I don’t want to get into.
On a final note, Shona should stay out of American politics. Canadians don’t need to get involved in this election. We need to become more involved in our own! And lastly, if Shona hates Canadian healthcare so much then she can move the USA and then see how she feels.
This video contains the late Jack Layton who was the leader of of the New Democratic Party (NDP), which as of 2011 was the official opposition party on the federal level, and was the MP of my area until his passing last August. I love this man and miss him!
“Moral Hazard”
I have the red and white! My mom signed the back because I was a baby when I got it! It's kind of falling apart 
I live in Canada. We have socialized medicine. Our healthcare isn’t perfect but it is better than what some countries have.
For a few months I was uninsured. Graduating from university kicked me off my Father’s health insurance. It was a horrible feeling because there was no way I’d be able to afford the dental and eye care, (which is not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, OHIP, but it should be)! and I would not be partially reimbursed for prescription medications. I had visions of my teeth falling out, my eyes getting worse and I would eventually DIE! Over dramatic yes but it’s not a far out idea for some without health insurance. As a citizen of Canada and of Ontario I would never be turned away for basic medical treatment because I have that insurance which in my case is a birth right (all citizens, native or immigrant receive this basic medical coverage under their province or territory).
My partner has health insurance and he recently added me to it. I am now insured! I still haven’t gone to the dentist but I will! (Nothing says I love you like health insurance)
Today I finished my fiction book and moved on to a non-fiction. I borrowed Overtreated: Why too much medicine is making us sicker and pooer by Shannon Brownlee which looks at how American healthcare, which is supposed to be the “best”, is really, well, SHIT! I am only on page 4 and I’m already outraged!
In the introduction Brownlee is talking about the reasons why healthcare professionals, legislators etc are telling Americans universal healthcare coverage is not beneficial. The “reason” that has me angry is what healthcare economists call “moral hazard” (it’s bloody ahhhhhh!!!!!).
The theory of moral hazard (because it really is a theory) is that having health insurance changes people.
OH! It must make people healthier and happier and everything becomes right in the world!!!
NO!!
VROOM!
The argument behind moral hazard is that if people are insured they will use the system “unnecessarily”. Because they don’t need to think about cost they will go get scans for every little issue and waste tax payer money in the process.
Brownlee gives an example using fictitious sports care vouchers. If the government handed out a voucher for a sports car then everyone would have a sports car!
Anyways, last I checked going to the doctor to see what’s wrong with you was a good type of preventative care! To use a personal example, one of my little girls fell at school a few weeks ago and hurt her ankle. She was very slow at walking because she was in pain so we carried her around when we needed to. She spent a lot of time with ice on her ankle. Her parents took her to the hospital and guess what! She had to get a cast!!!! The moral of the story is, we don’t know what’s going on inside the body! Sometimes we need to use the expensive equipment to confirm that that there isn’t a problem! Damage is not always obvious and I’d rather eliminate possibilities than wait it out and run the risk of becoming severely sick.
The moral hazard theory got me thinking about mental health. If many want to say that health insurance would result in too many people using the doctor and the equipment for things that could be fixed with ice then why do we currently have such a booming psychiatric industry?
The cure for everything!!!
Shouldn’t we treat out depression, schizophrenia or OCD with ice so to speak?
I guess the difference with mental health is the odds of the psychiatrist telling you that you’re normal and you’ve wasted his/her time and tax payer dollars is rather small. Still, could there not possibly be individuals that if they just used a little “ice” they could free up helpful services for those in which ice doesn’t work?
I can’t forget the most important detail which is many Americans possibly pay for their psych meds out of their own pocket, which is what moral hazard theory wants you to do! A friend of mine recently figured out how much it costs her a month to maintain her mental health. The cost of therapy roughly once a week and with 1 medication she’s looking at $600! Who can dish out that kind of cash monthly? I know I can’t! Large families can’t! Most people would prefer to spend that amount of money on other things such as groceries, paying down debt or saving for retirement/house/wedding/well deserved vacation!
The moral hazard theory is offensive! Individuals should decide when the appropriate time is to go to the doctor. We should be responsible for our own health but by that I mean doing what we feel is needed to keep us healthy, not be out there to fend for ourselves boarding on bankruptcy because we needed an MRI to rule something out!
I hope “Obamacare” passes. Anyone who is against it, remember, you may think that you’re great, living in such an “advanced” country, filled with “equal opportunity” and “freedom” but I WILL OUT LIVE YOU!!! And it will be because I’m from a country with dreaded socialized medicine!
P.S. My doctor still makes more than me! Don’t worry, Canadian doctors still make a lot of money!
Rick Santorum Aborts Presidential Campaign
The abortion and birth control debate that has been going on in America has been causing me a lot of pain! When it first started gaining steam in January I was seriously depressed that this talk of defunding abortion and all the birth control bashing was happening! I am a pro-choice woman and I feel safe in my country, Canada, that this type of oppressive talk will only ever be a talk and never an action!
Here is a freaking funny video on Rick Santorum dropping out of the race on Funny or Die!
