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Dancer

No, I can honestly say I don't fear them. But let me add one caveat to that statement; it would also depend on the degree of the mental illness. If it were someone who had been determined to be dangerous to others, then yes; I would have some reservations about being around them. But there are so many different kinds of mental illnesses and I guess too many variables for me to give ONE answer to this. Sorry...I'm no help, am I?

Maybe, because I don't understand mental illness, I would not have reasons to fear them. However, if someone suffers from it and if the behaviour should indicate or manifest violence in my presence because of the illness, then I'd treat the circumstances in the same way I'd treat any other violent circumstances...by an arm's length or find assistance for the person. Mainly because I would not know what else to do.

I worked in 'mental institutions' for more than half of my nursing career, so no, I'm not afraid of the mentally ill. But it isn't always possible to assess who is mentally ill/unstable or just plain dangerous.

No, I'm not scared of mentally ill people, but there's mentally ill and there's dangerous mentally ill. When you're not able to guess what someone's thought processes are, such as with a paranoid schizophrenic, I think it's best keep a bit of a distance, depending on how the individual seems to be. I have been around people who are decompensating and people who are unmedicated, so have a fair amount of exposure.

In Vancouver and Toronto downtown areas, there are panhandlers where some obviously do have some sort of mental illness. I don't mind those who have a mental illness and are polite with anyone. I see them biking around with their belongings and clutter..and honest, whenever I see someone who looks homeless or vaguely mentally ill, I actually think I'd rather deal with those who bike. At least, I know they are working out their demons in a healthy way. Seriously, any form of exercise is healthy/a bit helpful for anyone with a mental illness.

Crazy but true how I feel when I share the road with them.
I'm sure there are alot of drivers think ALL cyclists are slightly insane.

This is a complex question but when you really stop and think about the question there can be only one same answer and that would be YES! Reason being anyone who is a serial killer, or kidnapper, child molester etc., wife beater has to be mentally ill, stone insane in some instances, and these people are to be feared, so YES, you betcha, I do fear them.

My sister who was 4 ft.10 ins. and about 95 pounds soaking wet had dementa. Normally I was not afraid of her but when she went off in a rage I watched myself because she would grab anything she could to try to hurt anyone near her, biting, scratching, pinching, and stabbing if she could. Then and only then did I fear her. People in a demented state become quite strong as well. Something about an adrenalen rush.

I also worked in a day treatment center for adults with emotional illnesses (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, addictions, personality disorders, etc. etc.) I taught classes in which the issue of stigma and stereotype often came up, so we frequently had discussions about the difference between being mentally ill and being evil. An example would be Hitler -- he was a very successful man, achieved what he wanted, was adulated and powerful. He does not fit the definition of "insane" which is a legal definition. I met a couple of guys there who had been found "guilty by reason of insanity" but to me, they were evil, not ill. You could say such people are spiritually sick, but I think they are willful and it's within their power to change their behavior. Schizophrenics -- maybe most -- don't have the power to do that. Someone can be evil and schizophrenic, but someone can be an evil serial killer with a wife and a job.

Mentally ill people are hardly ever seen on the streets in Germany. I really don’t know what they do with them. They must put them in institutions. That’s why I was sort of shocked and maybe frightened to see so many mentally unstable people on the streets in Vancouver. You see a lot in Italy as well.
I personally think it is better that they are taken care of in institutions. At least they have a bed and regular meals. I would be afraid to allow a young child to walk the streets where so many schizophrenics are. In Germany I wouldn’t have any second thoughts. Not that that is any guarantee. We had a school amok killer today. It’s just terrible.
Classmates were saying peer pressure in the school was unbearable. As far as I know 11 were killed and the amok killer, a student from there, is still running free.

When I think of mentally ill, I don't think of murderers, or kidnappers, or bombers, or whatever. I tend to think of schizophrenics, those who are bipolar, personality disorders -- the "ordinary" types of mental illness that involve either a break with reality or an inability to connect with others on some fundamental level. There are people who commit crimes who are not mentally ill and people who aren't violent and don't commit crimes who are. It's easier, so to speak, to deal with people who are obviously not connecting with reality.

Edelweiss, my experience with friends and relatives who are mentally ill is that the protocol is to get them medicated and out of the hospital asap unless they are violent or truly insane. This practice means that a lot of people are barely functioning and have to be watched carefully by friends and relatives. in addition to that, you cannot get get people confined unless they are a danger to themselves or others. That's fine for the general population, but damn near useless and dangerous itself for people who are chronically mentally ill, who need hospitalization NOW rather than waiting until they do something overt. (A friend of mine almost blew up a block when she got the gas in her stove on, unlit. She thought people were trying to kill her. And she smoked. We all knew she needed help but had to wait until she was so far gone she could be basically arrested. Now, *that's* crazy.) I'm not getting the sense of that either on a financial or humane level. And it happens every day.