Saturday, January 31, 2009

About the last post

My brother in law is safe and sound in Canada. And nobody tasered him!!!

Only problem is the endless armchair diagnoses flying around now. Why does everybody think they are a shrink? You should hear the medical terms flying around!

His very skilled Doctors, and his unskilled ones, all agree that he has some form of depression (regular, severe, bipolar, chronic, etc...pick one) and addiction and alcoholism. They also agree that he has some brain damage from the strokes and heart bypass operation. That is enough isn't it? I guess not for the family and friends because they can't believe the difference in him off meds, vs. on meds. (Anyone wanna tell me if you all act differently off meds vs. on meds? ) I personally think they are just very emotional on the subject and are having trouble being objective. They love him and they are angry with him, but they can't see it.

Meanwhile, a list of what they think he has? Or will do to others? (With no evidence, mind you.)

Narcicissim

Schizophrenia

Sociopathic disorder

Personality Disorder

Street Drug Addiction

Immoral character

They also think he will engage in violent abusive stalking towards random women, be abusive towards children, steal things, set things on fire, turn into a serial killer.

I'm just waiting for the accusation of him being a terrorist. *eyeroll*

These are the same people who haven't actually seen him in 15 years. Or if they have seen him, it was only for a few hours here and there. I'm thinking that maybe they should try to remember the guy he was for the first 50 years of his life, who showed absolutely no sign of any of these issues, and never ever hurt a child or anyone else. Not once.

After his stroke, and the brain damage and his meds got screwed up and he started drinking he changed dramatically. But the only person he ever hurt was himself. He yelled and screamed at his ex-wives, (and they gave as good as they got) and he engaged in endless legal fights. He has said and done unconscionable things when he was off his meds or drunk out of his mind. But he has never ever physically hurt another person. And as weak as he is, he will likely never be able to hurt anyone else. He is a fool and has likely ruined his life and his career and will never recover. He was an asshole sometimes in the first fifty years, and he possessed a razor sharp wit---but that isn't mental illness.

But a sociopath?

Street drugs? He's only ever touched prescription ones...

Schizophrenia comes on much earlier in life. A hell of a lot earlier than fifty!

The amount of misunderstanding towards the mentally ill in our society never ceases to amaze me. I just hope that the family can see past their anger and their shame and accept that he is sick. We all get angry sometimes, I certainly do, but in the end, he needs help and it certainly won't happen if everyone thinks he is Label X, and writes him off.

4 comments:

  1. you'd be amazed at how some dr's arrive at their diagnosis. mental illness sadly is still one of the least understood health problems and generates a lot of fortune telling and fears.what good is the diagnostic mental health manual? it's like the tarot card book you buy to look up the meanings of cards. unfortunately many, many people are turned away, misdiagnosed and treated like garbage. and they have the nerve to call other people crazy..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh - ooh - ooh - can I play ;-)?
    & you should have SEEN the eye-rolls & significant glances when I went by the lab yesterday to have my blood drawn for my "alternative-med" dr...
    But seriously, I'm glad he's at least back on the same continent, safe for the time being...

    ReplyDelete
  3. "I personally think they are just very emotional on the subject and are having trouble being objective.... The amount of misunderstanding towards the mentally ill in our society never ceases to amaze me. I just hope that the family can see past their anger and their shame and accept that he is sick. We all get angry sometimes, I certainly do, but in the end, he needs help and it certainly won't happen if everyone thinks he is Label X, and writes him off."

    Both bits well put. Let's hope.

    Bea

    ReplyDelete