12/24/2025
A Different Future
So much has been written about the tragic deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife. Tons of speculation about Nick’s addiction and recently diagnosed Schizophrenia. My heart hurts when I think about his life in chaos, his parents lives in turmoil and sadness, and the horrible way they died. It's not the Riener's fault. It's not Nick's fault. they tried so many things to bring Nick to recovery, nothing worked, not really. Addiction is a monster where thought disorders sometimes live. Our mental health system needs to be fixed so that we have much longer, affordable treatment facilities, where the courts aren't punitive and so difficult to utilize, but supportive and accessible. where multiple hospitals in all communities offer early onset, first episode psychosis treatment. Where all addiction treatment is dual diagnoses with mental health care. We need communities where mentally ill people struggling with addiction or recovering from addiction can live full lives with others, with structure, with respect, and not isolated. Yes, some will leave and choose the street life, or worse, but the option should be theirs, not lack of resources or the ability to pay. This is a world I dream of. It's too late for Nick Reiner, too late for so many, but we must advocate to make this happen.
