Friday, January 9, 2009

The Beginning

Another opinion I just formulated is this. My mother was bi-polar as was her grand-mother and I am sure this form of mental illness in my family was and is a chemical imbalance and a genetic defect. This mental illness was passed down, not created. My son in medical school just completed his clinical rotations in psy. and he said that with a mother being bi-polar, my brothers and I had a 40% chance of also being bi-polar, although we are not. But the real story is about one of my special 3rd grade students, a very sad story. Physically and sexually abused by his parents, he, his 7th grade brother and 3 years old sister became wards of the state. The sister was adopted, but the two brothers have been in and out of foster and group homes. This one 3rd grade student, 10 years old, in my opinion is manifesting mental illness. Who knows whether it is a inherited thing or the trauma of his young life. He has been on various drugs, in a foster home with a single foster mom. His meds. were changed, he hit his brothers new bicycle with a baseball bat, the brother in return hit him on the head with a rock causing a huge gash that needed staples to be fixed. The foster mom says she can't care for the brothers, so they were separated, one went to juvie for striking his brother; the 3rd grader is on his way to a psy. ward, then back into a different group or foster home, separated from his brother.So after these young men probably go through this scenario over and over again, they will be dumped out on the street at age 18 and told "Good luck". I can't imagine not having any family at all to care for me or who is concerned about my welfare at the tender age of 10 years old. No one in the whole world who "really " loves you. So let your imagination go 8 or 9 nine years into the future and see what kind of young men these guys will be when they are having to make their own way in the world. I am convinced that the 10 year old one was probably delusional today when he told me he had gotten a puppy for Christmas, that he was being adopted and all was well with him. When actually he spent Christmas in a respite home with people he never met before because he got into a fight with his brother, so all the things he told me, I am sure were things he "Wished" were happening and not the reality of his very sad life. So this is probably the birth of his very mentally ill road, starting with the adults who were supposed to love and care for him, his very parents who took a young blank slate of a child and sexually and physically abused their gift from God. No telling how his story will end. 'Nuff said. Liz.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh Liz...how sad! :(

I have wished, so many times, there could be placements for children in need that offer intensive programs and also demonstrate unconditional love.

I often wonder if intensive intervention occurs very early in life, if the odds of a child experiencing severe mental illness--as well as chronic physical illness-- (as an adult) can be greatly decreased. Either way, intensive care, of the most helpful kind, would likley start a healing process in each life?

I think many people realize these children need intensive, loving settings; yet, the major problem is in funding such placements/programs/care.

Before the more recent financial crisis in the U.S. (and maybe even during it), so many different projects were funded. Were (are) these projects more important than children in need?

God bless the individuals/couples able to take in needy children, giving them love, direction and a warm, safe home! :)

God bless the children!:)

God bless you for raising consciousness on this topic! :)

Thanks so much for sharing this!
Hopeful Heart