From the mail

It was another cold day in Oklahoma. Last night the temp got down to -31 degrees in Nowata. But soon the temp is supposed to get back to the 60s.

In the mail today I got another issue of The Oklahoma Observer. The cover story is about mental illness. Here are a few quotes from the article:

More than 35,000 mentally ill commit suicide annually.

The Mental Health Department reports that Oklahoma ranks No. 2 in serious psychological disorders in the adult population.

Oklahoma's mental health spiral began under Republican Gov. Frank Keating who signed executive orders closing Western State Hospital at Fort Supply and Eastern State Hospital in Vinita.

One in four adults have a diagnosable mental illness but less than 25% of older adults with mental illness get any type of mental health attention, let alone appropriate treatment.

In 1955 there was one psychiatric bed for every 300 Americans. Last year there was one psychiatric bed for every 3,000 Americans.

Let's hope tomorrow is a warmer day.