People who suffer from serious mental illness can face tough problems. Some can become too disabled to work, while others, especially those who go untreated, can find themselves up in legal trouble. Some of them, however, say they are saved by the Mental Health Court.

One woman who suffered from severe bipolar disorder says her mental illness caused her to be arrested for an incident that led her to be known as the "naked car thief," according to KSL.com.

Back in June 2010, the woman, a mother of two and former PTA president, had not slept or eaten much in about three weeks. She apparently took off her clothes, stole a car and crashed into a fence. When police caught up with her, she ran away from them and then stole a police car. Eventually, she was tased three times before being taken to jail.

The woman says at the time she did not realize she was bipolar. When she was in jail she underwent a mental evaluation and was placed in Mental Health Court, which she now says saved her.

The court focuses on helping treat people's illnesses, rather than sentencing them to jail time. One judge says she views herself as a "cheerleader" and treats mental illness as just that -- an illness.

The woman who suffers from bipolar disorder says that the program has helped her to live a life outside of jail. She notes that people treat her and others like her as real people. Small improvements are recognized with huge signs of encouragement, and that, she says, is a big deal.

Source: KSL.com, "Court helping criminals take charge of their mental illness," Jennifer Stagg, Nov. 7, 2011