State chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness received several million dollars in contributions from pharma companies in a little less than five years, with big donations from Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb, according to a letter from Sen. Charles Grassley.
The article cites an earlier NY Times report of NAMI national as “'hugely influential in many state capitols' for its lobbying efforts to keep states from putting any restrictions on the drugs that can be prescribed to patients covered under Medicaid and other government-funded programs."
Excuse me for breathing too loud, but it seems the only time mental illness gets any attention from the media is when someone with a mental illness shoots someone or gets shot by the police. Or when some grandstanding politician with no moral principles tries to pretend he is speaking for the people.
Anyone who has been following this blog knows I am on the board of NAMI San Diego. I have also been associated with DBSA. Both NAMI and DBSA offer free - I emphasize free, free as in free - programs and services. It has been my honor over the years to serve in the trenches alongside highly - very highly - dedicated individuals.
In a recent blog piece, I posted a video I edited of a group of soldiers serving in Iraq who organized a 5K Run in full body armor concurrent with our NAMI Walk in San Diego. Our local organization is working very hard to raise awareness for PTSD and the special needs of those who serve and have served our country.
At both DBSA and NAMI, we see - everywhere - a huge unmet need. Individuals enduring extreme personal hells. Families driven to the brink. We know what we’re talking about. Most of us serving in NAMI and DBSA have been through it. Most of us are still dealing with the challenges. Trust me, every soul I have served alongside is uncompromising in his or her belief that no one should ever - ever, ever - have to endure for one day through what they - we the people - have faced day in and day out for years and even decades on end.
Do I have to cite the terrible litany, life by life, soul by soul?
In addition, our organizations benefit from the efforts of those who have dedicated their lives to improving ours. These include enlightened clinicians and students training to enter the mental health field.
Alas, a huge unmet need. Alas, precious few resources. One drop of commitment into a vast bottomless black hole of suffering.
Sad to say, mental illness lacks the cachet of the glamor diseases. High society does not write out six figure checks to support our cause. Hollywood doesn’t rally behind us. Politicians look the other way.
We look around, we in the trenches. We see vital services cut. We see people cut off, cut out. We field their calls for help. We’re there when they walk through the door. But there is only so much we can do. We roll up our sleeves and do what we can. Then we scrap, we hustle, we lift the seat cushions for whatever loose change happens to roll to the floor.
I’m not going to lower myself by responding to Grassley’s shameless accusations and innuendos. But I will note this:
According to OpenSecrets.org, Sen Grassley received $279,118 in campaign contributions from the insurance industry from 2005 to 2010. He voted against health care reform.
The Senator from Iowa is part of the problem, not the solution. He needs to be called out for the paid industry shill and an enemy of the people he truly is.
Thanks. I needed that. Time for me to breathe a little less loudly. Thank you for your patience.
Disclosure: I am on the board of NAMI San Diego. What I said here is my own opinion entirely and does not represent NAMI San Diego or any individuals or organizations it is affiliated with.
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