Santa Monica Library...homeless camping in stalls of toilets! Shame on City Council...

Santa Monica Library focuses on aesthetics

(not the needs of the residents)

Yesterday afternoon I was at the Santa Monica Library doing some research when I dashed into the restroom to take a whiz and blow my nose.

Unfortunately, when it came to relieving myself, it was not an easy task to undertake.

The three stalls were shut-tight - and in spite of a wait for about ten minutes - I was unable to take a turn because the individuals inside had obviously hankered down for the afternoon.

At one point, a middle-aged man - with shaving cream slapped  unevenly on his weathered face - slithered out, walked over to the basin and wet a paper towel - then mosied back into the water closet without so much as a backward glance.

The other two gents continued with their vigils (for whatever reason) with nary a rustle of toilet paper - or jangling belt buckle - signalling a change of guard was definitely not on the way.

All of the cross-legged patrons waiting in line proceeded to retreat one by one in disgust.

Nope!

There wasn't a staff member or guard in sight to monitor the situation!

At this juncture, I had to seriously consider that the employees had thrown up their hands in frustration - or, just maybe - were allowing the homeless folks to take a nap for an hour or two each day for a nominal fee.

Well, that's one way to dredge up some moolah, if the library is cash-strapped.

But, seriously, folks.

What a sad commentary on the library and the homeless situation in Santa Monica.

Are the City Fathers aware of the shocking events going down in their neck-of-the-woods?

Maybe, Council members just don't care.

The library employees obviously don't or they would have tried to rectify the problem by now.

Judging by what I witnessed, the individuals in question not only need a shelter to wash-up and rest their weary heads, but some psychological counselling as well.

Mental illness is a very serious problem in this country today, and the folks at the Library shouldn't take it all so lightly, or in their stride without conscience.

Shame!

http://www.thetattler.biz

711...hiring scary people in need of therapy!

Bring back the stylish dame!

Occasionally, I pop into a 711 at the corner of Holloway & La Cienega to pick up the morning paper and snatch up a cup of Java.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks, management there has hired a female (?) cashier with an obvious personality disorder.

Strolling in to shop there now is quite an uncomfortable experience.

Of course, one has only to take a gander at the screwball character, to fathom what her problem is!

The poor little misfit is overweight, for starters.

Worse than that, she has no fashion sense or even a smidgen of self-awareness.

After botching a dye job, for some inexplicable reason, the twenty-something (I'm being kind) non-entity chose to sculpt the mish-mash of yucky orange-yellow-green freakish strands into a little pyramid on top.

Does she honestly take a glance in the mirror each morning and imagine that she looks the least bit cool or attractive?

Today, she appeared to have a fixation on me.

When I strode towards the coffee counter, she stopped in her tracks, blocked my path, and stared at me.

Nope, she wouldn't get out of the way.

So creepy, it made my skin crawl!

When I side-stepped her to let her pass, she copied my action to a "t", and remained standing "this-close" to the left of me.

Kookoo, eh?

Her weirdness walked off to another section of the store, but within secs, was back at my side paying attention to every minute detail as I added cream, stirred the piping-hot liquid into a tasty blend, then crowned the disposable cup with a lid.

She followed in unison as I trekked over to the cash register - albeit in line behind the display case - then stood there at the check-out looking for-all-the-world like an empty-headed zombie.

Now, I understand why well-known celebrities go up-the-wall when they experience the same kind of bizarre conduct from strangers running rampant all around 'em in the streets, when they're dining at a trendy restaurant, or out on a shopping spree on Robertson.

These weirdos need to get a life!

I wanted to advise the woman, who had all the personality and charm of a worm, that her behaviour was odd.

"Maybe you should get some therapy," I imagined myself saying in a straight-forward heart-to-heart.

But, my spiritual teachings urge compassion.

So, I smiled politely, said a little prayer for her, and exited politely.

Needless to say, I won't be patronizing that convenience store again.

If she is mentally imbalanced, I certainly don't want to encourage her.

Henry Miller said it best:

"There is no salvation in becoming adapted to a world (or person?) which is crazy."

http://www.julianayrs.com

Mental Illness...show compassion!

Just take a trip to the local library, a gander at a couple of anonymous or faceless posts on a popular blogsite on the Internet, or a stroll through the streets of downtown Los Angeles - and elsewhere - and it will become obvious that mental illness is a growing problem in this country today.

Sometimes there is an elephant in the room, but no one wants to talk about it.

But the issue is a serious one.

Should we just ignore the problem - (will it just go away?) - or should we tackle the issues head on?

Today, in our complex - and at times - baffling and troubling society, it appears more people are feeling alienated, left out, or just plain angry.

Many are crying out for help…

We need to listen.

Medical findings of researchers

A mental illness or mental disorder is a clinically significant psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or a disability that is not expected as part of normal development or the culture, itself.

Most agree, there has been a better understanding of mental illness over the past couple of decades.

Despite the fact - definitions, assessments, and classifications of mental disorders can vary - criteria listed in the ICD, DSM and other manuals are widely accepted by mental health professionals.

Categories which may require diagnosis include - mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, personality disorders, for starters.

In many cases, there is no single accepted or consistent cause of mental disorders.

But, mental disorders have been found to be common in over one-third of the population in most countries that have reported sufficient data to track and document.

Mental health services may be based in hospitals or in the community where mental health professionals have the facilities to diagnose individuals using different methodologies.

Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options that may be worth considering.

Supportive interventions may appear to be a harsh approach, but are worthwhile pursuing, nonetheless.

In some instances, treatment may be involuntary where legislation allows.

A number of activists in the field have campaigned for changes in mental health services and attitudes about the disease, especially in view of the fact there is a widespread problem with stigma and discrimination.

Information provided by he National Institute on Mental Health

Mental disorders are common in the U.S. and internationally.

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion — about 6 percent, or 1 in 17 — who suffer from a serious mental illness.

In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44.

Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity.

The Impact of Mental Illness on Society

The burden of mental illness on health and productivity in the United States and throughout the world has long been underestimated.

Data developed by the massive Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University, reveal that mental illness, including suicide, accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, such as the United States.

This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers.

*Thanks to World Health for image of "Mental Mask" featured above.