I have had personal experience with someone in my family who battled mental illness. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 18. He passed away in 2008 from complications due to HepC. His battle waged war on his mother, his siblings, his daughter and everyone who knew him. He was volatile and down right scary at times. His mother took such good care of him and believe me, this wasn't easy. I didn't meet him until he was in his 30's. When he was younger there were fights, police at the house, visits to Rusk (a mental hospital in East Texas), violence, hospital visits and times when he would just go missing. I think those periods when he was gone were the hardest moments for his mother to handle because she didn't know whether he would come back home alive. He had a serious drug problem for a while and he abused alcohol as well most of his life until he became diabetic. He contracted Hepatitis C from IV drug use. I was very concerned for the well being of my children when we all were together. If he was taking his meds he was okay. But if he wasn't, the whole family would be on edge. If you have ever seen the movie "A Beautiful Mind" you know what daily life looks like for someone living with schizophrenia. I thought that movie adequately showed glimpses of what life is like day to day for schizophrenics. On a positive note, I saw how much his mother loved him. Her love for him was truly an example of unconditional love. His siblings would be angry for all of the problems he caused himself and the family but his mother was never angry. She was always kind, gentle, understanding and she never gave up on him. She absolutely amazed me at times.
When he was in high school he was a great golfer and a talented writer. His success in life was very short lived. He was married for a short while and did have a daughter. His ex wife was unable to handle the eruptions in his behavior that became increasingly worse year after year. After his daughter got married, she did not want to have children because she was afraid of the possibility of passing this gene along to her children. I am happy to say she gave birth to twin boys about five years ago and they are both perfectly healthy and normal.
After his death, his mother became actively involved in the Mental Health Association of Texas. I learned through his life that although you cannot see a mental illness the repercussions are enormous for anyone who suffers from one. Mental illness sufferers are misunderstood, shunned, and often times estranged from their families.
