I Tried to Reach Brad Pitt About Funding an Alpaca Farm

As though he is easy to reach. Heavens no, but, Brad and Angelina Jolie are philanthropists and I shamelessly admit to needing funding help.  They are not the only two I was trying to reach. I found a list of organizations and foundations.  I have a splendid idea for those with mental illness and alternative therapies beyond medication.  Many of the medications prescribed for mental illness are used to sedate certain types of brain chemistry and ease certain symptoms.   Most of these medications are toxic long term.  I really don’t expect the big pharmaceutical companies to do anything but exactly what they are doing in the way of research.  Short term perhaps there is benefit but people start to experience a decline in health after taking psycho pharmaceuticals for a long time.  Those pills were never meant to cure anything: They are there to help people manage symptoms.   I don’t expect our managed care for mental health to move out of the give them pills therapy programs.  Many of our mentally ill people are out on the street homeless and their life expectancy is short.  As far as I can tell few elected officials understand or care.  I think it is a matter of education.  I don't want to blame anyone or accuse them of heartlessness.  Unless you have a precious loved one who is handicapped by mental health issues, it is hard to understand and it is hard to know the best course of action even when you do understand.  I am a veteran of all these woes.  I have both loved ones in my family and have worked professionally in the mental health field.  I care deeply.

We have voted away the nice comfortable treatment centers.  It is difficult for anyone to voluntarily or involuntarily stay at a hospital or treatment center because the funding was pulled for them.  The plug got pulled.  Usually it is families that deal with their mentally ill members now.  If you care about a loved one then you now get to be the care taker.  This leads to an overburdening of a family member who probably works, takes care of an elderly parent and now has their brother or adult child return home to live with them.  Recently when social security realized my loved one loved with me, they wanted to reduce the already pathetic amount of disability that person receives.  Again, it seems to be the attitude and lack of education of what can help.  Many people with mental health issues can work and are very intelligent, but, they will not get hired due to their appearance and behavior.  With the right sort of employment and supervision many could work.  It would be a very flexible arrangement.  If someone is distressed and hearing voices, they need not show up that day.  If they are wanting to be creative, there might be an addition job or venue for that.  Yes, it would be like working for a family business.  Most employers do not allow for this type of disability.  Someone in a wheel chair with stable mental health is a bit more predictable.  Some of our most creative individuals were bi-polar.  There is a long list of writers, composers, and artists throughout time that have reached for new heights and had such unique vision.  Anyway back to my hoped for farm...

I would love to find a nice retreat atmosphere and try some new non medical therapies.  I think my retreat could be self sustaining with a organic garden and the sell of art that patients create.  I think many people in treatment might envy Van Gogh for the lovely clinic that the nuns provided out in the country during his lifetime.  The garden is also another form of therapy.  I would like to try some interventions that are accepted best practice but not invasive and not chemical in nature. 

Needing money is not the only hold up.  I need a community of mental health staff to get on board.  When bouncing this around others (called brainstorming) it was suggested that having Alpacas and making yarn to make woven art would not be a bad idea.  I had a close friend who had her own sheep and sheered them and died the wool and wove handbags.  They were awesome and they sold for $500 USD each.  Amazing and true! She used to have a mental health problem and then improved and became rather rich.  Who would have thought it possible? 

So I throw the idea out into the sea of possibilities.  Like a note in a bottle perhaps someone will read this and respond or maybe create a similar retreat.  Or write to me and we will brainstorm a bit more.  Miracles happen everyday!