[ditoa]

In the UK it is quite easy (and free obviously, NHS and all that) to get somebody seen by a mental health professional. I have suffered from several mental health problems over the past 3½ years and the only reason I am here today replying to your post is because of the fantastic support provided by the NHS (and my family of course).

I feel so sad when I read stories like yours of friends and loved ones who need help but don't get it :(

[zdw]

For the edification of all the people in the USA regarding current events, this kind of a support system is what helps people who are having issues, and would likely have prevented the tragedies that happened in Aurora or Tucson.

Not to say that other solutions could contribute to a more whole solution, but fundamentally it's people with problems either becoming a danger to themselves and others. And we have no support system for this.

[aaronbrethorst]

> ...and would likely have prevented the tragedies that happened in Aurora or Tucson.

Or Seattle. Two examples off the top of my head:

The cafe where a well-known Rails meetup happens had a multiple homicide recently. A mentally ill man ended up killing six people total. His family said "we could see this coming." http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/31/seattle-shootings-six-...

A mentally ill man literally axe-murdered another man (who he didn't know) two years ago a half-block away from where I live: http://thesunbreak.com/2010/11/24/mental-illness-drove-capit....

[ditoa]

I wonder how much people spend on firmarms, learning how to use them, ammunition, guns safes, etc. ?

I saw a news report that the number of people applying for a gun license in Aurora after the shootings at the cinema went up quite a bit.

To me, as a non-American, that is quite scary. A guy kills and injures a lot of people and the reaction of the public is not "how could we have prevented this?" but "I need a gun so when this happens again I can kill the guy before he kills as many people!"

Scary and quite sad :(

I do not know if James Holmes is suffering from mental health issues and if they are the cause of his violent attack on the people of Aurora however I would suspect mental health problems are involved somewhere and perhaps this tragedy could have been averted had he had the proper help.

[tectonic]

I don't think a non-mentally-ill person could do what he did. Pretty much by definition, he's mentally ill.

[slurgfest]

I am puzzled at how you know what would have prevented the tragedies.