I am writing in response to Sanford Phippen’s book review titled, “Seeing mental illness from the inside out,” in the weekend edition of March 9-10, specifically regarding Carolyn McKinnon’s novel, “Insanity, Inc.,” as a view into “… what kind of place the Bangor State Hospital used to be several administrations ago.”

Although I was not at the Bangor State Hospital during the era about which Ms. McKinnon writes, and which is not identified in the novel, I have spent more than 20 years as a psychiatric nurse in institutions in New York and at Bangor Mental Health Institute. I want to state most emphatically that I have never experienced the sadism, neglect and greed portrayed in this novel. For Phippen to recommend that the taxpayers can somehow read these fictionalized accounts and turn them into a rational plan for deciding on the future of mental health services in Maine is a work of fiction on his part.

Phippen quotes from the novel, “… All of us are sadistic under our tightly controlled social masks…,” a view he says is “all-too-typical” of those in control over other people’s lives whether at “… (BMHI), or a regular hospital, nursing home, prison or even certain schools.”

No, Mr. Phippen, the “typical” care-giver is not motivated by sadistic joy in others’ suffering but by a desire to provide services to those who need it in exchange for the money necessary to live their own lives outside the institution with pride in their lives and their work.

Practicing sadists are not the norm. To defame public and private employees in this manner is unforgivable and far more likely to add confusion, not enlightenment, to the taxpayers.

Phippen would have done the consumers and providers of mental health services more good if he had reviewed Ms. McKinnon’s book as the novel it is stated to be and not as truths presented as fiction on which to judge the current system. Frances Vanecek, RN, Ms, CNAA Exeter

Mental illness, treatment and outcomes are so often misunderstood. I feel that by comparing mental illnesses with other chronic and incurable illnesses, we can gain a better understanding.

Asthma and diabetes are examples of disease in which there is treatment but no cure. They can be controlled with medicaitons, but there are times when medications don’t work.

Factors that can affect chronic illness include infections, noise, heat and cold, pollution, humidity, diet, sleep problems, financial losses, death, divorce and side-affects from the medications.

The medical community doesn’t look at a rehospitalization or changes in medication as a failure, nor does it close hospital beds and refuse to admit people if community care is not available. The community has expanded some of its resources, which in turn has decreased the need for hospital care.

With mental health, the cart is before the horse. Instead of quality, safe, well-planned community care drawing the mentally ill away from institutions, the state is closing beds and hoping that as the chronically ill are forced out, quality community care will emerge.

What is our hurry? Who will be hurt by this? Should we be forcing community care instead of developing it?

Furthermore, there will continue to be a need for institutions for those who can’t make it in the community despite support services or who need to be rehospitalized temporarily because various stresses have worsened their condition. This option should remain available, just as hospitals are available for those with chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes.

Please contact your representative in the legislature to express your desire for humane care of the mentally ill. Pamela S. Miller Bangor

In recent weeks there has been much media attention focused on the closure of one of the state’s two mental health institutions. It was suggested that Bangor Mental Health Institute would be the institution that would remain opened. Because BMHI is situated in the most centrally located major city in the state, because BMHI is in much better physical condition than its sister institute because BMHI is the institute that has consistently received accreditation, because BMHI is more economically efficient, it should be the institute to remain opened.

But because this all makes very good sense, it probably will not happen. The Augusta-biased political clout within the Legislature, with the blessings of the governor, will do everything in their power to defy common sense by trying to close BMHI.

Gov. King has no love for the area of the state that lies north of Augusta. His State of the State address made that very clear. So then why should I have any reason to believe that he

would have as much as a flicker of compassion for BMHI and the many contributions that it has made to the Mental Health Department over the years?

If anyone feels that the Bangor region (in the other Maine) will be unjustifiably deprived of a mental health safety net by closing BMHI; if anyone feels that the recent Waterville murders of two nuns is not a good reason to close BMHI at the expense of AMHI’s woes; if anyone feels that the governor’s priorities do not extend far enough in a northerly direction, then I recommend that you send a strong message in a southerly direction so that the State House will reel and rock.

Yes, Maine is on the move — in a southerly direction. Skip Umel Mental health worker Bangor Mental Health Institute