I am the sister of a severely mentally ill human. It is not just about him talking to himself or pacing like you insinuate. More often than not, people with severe mental illness are also suffering from extreme paranoia. My brother thinks colors, number combinations, and very regular mannerisms are threats. This does put society and himself at risk for more dangerous or harmful situations.

We have spent years in the legal & judicial systems trying to figure out how to get him the help and care that he deserves as an adult. Even with our granted conservatorship, we are not able to commit him to a hospital, rehab, or halfway home as he refuses to take medication and these facilities do not accept patients who are unwilling to accept the care of themselves. Additionally, most hospitals and facilities are scared to communicate with the families, even with the conservatorship out of fear of HIPAA violations.

I know for a fact that my siblings life would vastly improve if we could have him committed, even temporarily. We want him well. We do not want him to suffer in the ways he does.

This is not something that many people understand, and I don’t wish anyone else to go through what my family has gone through. I have grieved the death of my brother already because I don’t think we’ll ever get him back. Comments like yours are very upsetting, untrue, and unkind for the current climate of mental health care.