Letter: A legitimate need

This letter is in response to "Mental health board not needed," by Dan Patlak on Nov. 2.

Mr. Patlak proclaims:

"[­P]roponents of this referendum should be lobbying their representatives in our already existing federal, state, county and village governments to review their budget priorities and find additional funding for mental health care if there is a legitimate need."

I would ask the letter writer to clarify whether or not he is directly involved with the care of a loved one with mental illness or if he lives daily with someone who has mental illness like a spouse or a daughter. If his own life were affected, either by the actual illness or the stress involved in caring and advocating for a loved one with mental illness, (I hope for his sake, it isn't), then certainly he couldn't possibly, even remotely, make the statement, "if there is a legitimate need."

We are about 200 years behind in the medical treatment and understanding of those with biological brain illnesses. One doesn't realize it until one is directly affected. Only then do they see the tremendous disparity in how we treat biological brain illnesses and other illnesses, for example, cancer or heart disease.

I would also ask, "why either or?" Increasing our property taxes in addition to lobbying our representatives in already existing federal, state, county and village governments to review their budget priorities and find additional funding for mental health, is of utmost importance.

It's also imperative to become more educated about what mental illness is, and more importantly, dispel the stigma placed on those who suffer. Mental illnesses are biological brain illnesses and should be treated like any other illness or disease. I assure you, there is indeed a "legitimate need."

Louis S. Guagenti

Arlington Heights