by Meadow Lark

Created on: May 19, 2008   Last Updated: May 17, 2012

My mother was a paranoid schizophrenic. If you are reading this and you have a family member with a similar diagnosis, you know the difficult decisions that have to be made, not only for your physical and mental well-being, but your loved ones.

My mother attempted suicide numerous times. In fact, there were so many times that I lost count. When I was a child, I remember my father and I drove the long, quiet ride to Thomason General's psych ward. I touched one side of the glass, and my mother touched the other. Children were not allowed in the ward for good reason.

There were other moments in time that were landmarks to me, like the time she ran down our street screaming. I've been to support groups for adult children of the mentally ill. A new member to the group asked, "So, I guess all of you have a story where they've run down the street naked." I chimed in and said, "Actually MY mother kept her slip on!" It REALLY was the truth. I remember hearing laughter at that point. I found myself laughing, as well. There are so many tragic episodes, so many tears, so many trips to hospitals and so many stories, it just helps to be able to laugh on occasion.

Should the state force the mentally ill into treatment even if they are not an "imminent threat" to themselves or others? This is a tremendously difficult question to address. I read with interest some articles written by professionals in this field. I have also suffered the stares and indifference of some of the intake staff at mental hospitals and treatment centers. Given my mother's state when she quit taking her medicine because "there was nothing wrong" with her and knowing how very difficult it was to explain to uneducated nursing staff at a hospital near Austin, Texas, I must say, "YES, PLEASE HELP THEIR SUFFERING!". There should be trained staff who know what to look for and specific criteria the professionals use, just as there would be for making a diagnosis of a heart attack. I suspect some professionals should and could write books on this subject and all the definitions of mentally ill or "imminent threat".

The majority of people don't want to see anyone who is sane forced into treatment, but what should society do with the ones that are insane? The ones, like my mother, who stop taking their meds on a routine basis and become so distraught, so "mad", if you will, that they verbally and physically attack others, YET, when they agree to see a psychiatrist or social worker, their entire demeanor changes.

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