Published on 12, July, 2020
There's currently a government review of the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983.
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/independent-review-of-the-mental-health-act
There are two surveys for mental health service users and for carers available through that page, which are closing in a couple of days. There will I believe be further chances to submit evidence over the next few months.
At the moment the Act follows the psychiatric establishment in seeing autism as 'disorder or disability of the mind'. This is elaborated in the current MHA code of practice, chapter 20. Addiction is excluded from the Act however (so to be blunt, the state can often try to stop you killing yourself, but not drinking yourself to death), and learning disabilities are excluded unless ''associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct'.
Some useful submissions already made:
There is a lot more intolerance for displays of anger in today's enlightened world. I wonder why. I wonder what could possibly be going on to create the kind of frustration and dissatisfaction that might make individuals under pressure really lose it.
Ha, ha, well it's enough to get you sectioned, well I did walk around the Job Centres fair after being ordered to, with a copy of 'I Daniel Blake' openly displayed as a poster. I was so angry that I enjoyed telling all the stall holders I was on anti-depressants and they would not want me. That's what made me seek an autistic diagnosis, oh well I don't regret it as some one had to make a stand.
That is the kind of thing I meant. Every time I fly into a UK airport warnings abound about not getting too angry with Immigration authorities. Again I can't help but wonder why....
Yes I was also disillusioned as I grew older, becoming more cynical with age but in spite of being disappointed by some people whom I met, including those in established religions which is another story. However i made my way in this world, keeping my own counsel until I reached the ripe old age of fifty and am now friends with a cynical old eighty year old, with a great sense of humour. In spite of this I enjoy people watching from the boundaries and work with teenagers in a school. I tend to share with others much younger than myself my pearls of wisdom. In spite of this, there are some good people amongst the crowd, I am not really a joiner but an observer and thinker, needing time to think things through and this increases as I mature. I like to see beyond the labels to the human being underneath, sometimes seeing a vulnerable person trying to hide themselves.