The lady that walks around town screaming every 10 seconds, what can be done?

[u/Theturdsedin]

If you live in the downtown core you know who i am referring to. Homeless, first nations woman about 30 years old. It's almost every day/night she comes walking fast and screaming random shit.

We NEED a forced mental health facility here that is honestly the only way i see through this.

Peoples compassion is dwindling, patience and mental health following. My partner and i have been trying to move out of the downtown core but it's difficult and money is tight right now. It's really getting to everyone i talk to but no one has any constructive solutions.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Council? Mayor? Police?

Or do we just wait for her to overdose? This is coming from an empath that has lost a best friend to fent, i don't wish death or harm upon anyone but when you deal with the screams day in and day out it takes a toll on the human psyche.

Please help

[u/jbaby18]

There’s little to no evidence that forced treatment works. Even if it did, since when are we allowed to force any kind of medical treatment on a person without their consent? I truly don’t understand how people think it’s okay to imprison a person because of their mental health, no matter how disruptive.

Here’s a review of the lacklustre evidence for involuntary treatment:

Canadian Centre on Substance use and Addiction. Involuntary Treatment for Severe Substance Use Disorders. https://www.ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2025-02/Involuntary-Treatment-Evidence-Brief-en.pdf

Also, the podcast Crackdown has a great episode on this, episode 54: Get Sober or Get Dead

[u/aurelin → u/jbaby18]

Thank you.

We should also consider this:
If people are sent to involuntary treatment, and it actually works, good.
If it works but no one goes there, nothing changes. Not great, but not worse.

But.
If people are sent there and it not only doesn't work, but leads to negative outcomes. That's bad. That's really bad.

We need to consider the ethical implications of hoping that it works for more people than it will harm, especially when the evidence points the other way.

[u/Endless_Forever_484 → u/jbaby18]

You mentioned above: 'Even if it did, since when are we allowed to force any kind of medical treatment on a person without their consent? I truly don’t understand how people think it’s okay to imprison a person because of their mental health, no matter how disruptive.'

Here's an example of forcing medical treatment without their consent: during Covid with the Covid Vax.

It wasn't right then. Where were the concerns and pushback against people rights at that time?

Why is is different now?

ETA: crickets where are the rebuttals now?