(July 16, 2013) In 2011, at the age of 23, my son was diagnosed with schizophrenia after a very serious psychotic breakdown. He spent three months in the Yale Psychiatric Hospital. He was discharged three times and readmitted twice because of suicidal thoughts and an attempted suicide.
But I had been trying to get my son help since he was a teenager.
When I first noticed his strange behavior, I thought this might be just be a period that teenagers go through.
My son was a gifted artist so I attributed some of his behavior to that of a “creative genius.” I knew there was a problem when he started sleeping all day and taking drives at night. He was also spending a great deal of time in the basement doing what I saw as strange things. He was slowly retreating into isolation. Looking back I understand that he was becoming delusional, that he had delusions of grandeur. During this time he thought people he would see where he worked were speaking to him when they were not. Not being familiar with mental illness, I was at a loss as to what was happening. I also knew I could do nothing due to his age.
Each time the psychiatrist would spend a short time with him, diagnose him with depression or social anxiety and prescribe medication, which he never wanted to take.
Once he turned 18, that was the end of me being able to help him even though he lived with me and was financially dependent on me. I couldn’t even get him an appointment with a psychiatrist. I remember trying to make an appointment, crying over the phone and pleading. But, no, they said that my son needed to call. He wouldn’t call.
When my son’s psychotic break came to a head, it was severe. He “knew” he was going to die a painful death. He looked at me and said, “You are never going to see me again.” He thought a person on Craigslist was going to kill him so he decided to do it himself.
Thankfully he did not succeed.
The sad truth seems to be that people with severe mental illness do not get the help they need until there is a crisis. Can this be changed? I would like to see restrictions lifted on parents for children over the age of 18 so that people who are clearly in crisis get the help that they need.
SUSAN GALLAGHER
CONNECTICUT
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