SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — People all around the world are still trying to find a reason why Adam Lanza slaughtered 20 first graders, and six adults at Newtown, Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School, and killed his own mother, Nancy, before taking his own life Friday.
Neighbors and former classmates describe Lanza as “Socially Awkward” and “Isolated”.
Characteristics of what many believe are some sort of mental illness or disorder. “What we do know, is that when you look statistically at all individuals with psychiatric illness, people with psychiatric illness usually have a lower likelihood of violence in the general population. They are much more likely to be victims of violence than they are to be perpetrators of violence,” said Dr.Stuart Anfang, Medical Director of Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Baystate Medical Center.
There is no official word on Lanza’s diagnosis, or medical history.
However, Dr. Anfang, says that after Friday’s traumatic events it’s no surprise that people are stigmatizing mental illness. “Of course when these types of things happen and it involves somebody who may have a psychiatric history, that raises everybody’s concern and alarm, and appropriately so. People have to understand however troubling these are, and these are senseless, tragic events, these are very rare events.”
While those with similar traits might not have a history of violence, there are other warning signs of psychiatric illness to look out for. “Signs of depression. Nerve agitated symptoms. They might have problems sleeping. They may withdraw. They may have a loss of appetite. They may have a sleep disturbance. They might start to talk about suicide, or have a preoccupation with death, or hurting people, those would be things that you’d be alarmed about, Dr. Anfang warned.
Dr. Anfang also notes that there are almost 30 million people nationwide who suffer from some sort of mental illness. While he doesn’t think this type of event leads to copycats, people are usually just looking for the attention that comes with it.
He hopes this will spark a serious conversation about mental healthcare & improving resources. Between 2009 and 2012, more than $1.6 billion was cut from state funds for mental health services.
That number could rise if Congress doesn’t come to a decision on the Fiscal Cliff by December 31st.
Sure let’s blame all mental illness. Gee, COULD YOU REMIND ME how many people have levels of depression, bipolar, ADD or others that are all to blame. Let’s blame the ones for this tragic events on just mental illness. Perhaps we let them down with our EDUCATIONAL experience and they never learned sentience of humanity and simply blame it on a simple idea. I think there is much much more to this but of course I know nothing, perhaps we should be looking at why people cannot simply stud instead of killing. This is the easy way out. Blame and suggest instead of looking at the whole picture.
Very informative article. Thank you.
liked this article also]
I don’t give a damn he’s a killer to me its anny
i want to thank you news 40 for posting this. hopefully kids like my son wont suffer too much of the blow back from this.
Benny, I don’t always agree with you but you are 100% on this one! Kevin, haven’t you learned that today’s society doesn’t hold people accountable for their actions? Just medicate them like people who are bipolar and stop taking meds because they feel better. Hey! Then back to square one.
Thank you Sean Madura ….