Update: Two More Years into Schizophrenia Journey

snow…like the symptoms that can coat Ben’s thoughts

Yesterday I was alone with Ben all day.  Huge snowstorm, hubby away in California, daughter and her husband in their own apartment, driveway covered with a foot of snow.  Ten years ago this would have been a recipe for all sorts of disaster: frustration, loneliness, trepidation. Instead, thanks to treatment which includes medication as well as the other cornerstones of recovery (community, purpose, structure), I was actually glad to have Ben's company.  Here is what happened:

• Ben helped me shovel the driveway - I mean really helped, as in he did 75% of the work.

• Ben cooked us a delicious homemade pizza for dinner.

• We watched an animated movie - well, parts of it - during the required "watchful time" after he takes his meds.

Any parent of someone with schizophrenia will tell you that this is a day to be grateful for - and I am, believe me. No, life isn't perfect, and I still wish for the magic wand (or, more to the point, better research and treatment options), but still I know a good day when we see one.

I'm also thrilled that the book still reaches people, two+ years after publication. Although there have been a few changes in our situation since then (two more relapses, a disastrous foray into "independent living" for Ben resulting in our current living situation where he is at home with us, -with a roommate to boot-, and both a part-time job and more college credits earned), the story of our "journey from chaos to hope" remains relevant- at least according to the readers who have written to me. I am so grateful for the feedback, and the chance to share that continues with each reader (or listener to the audiobook).

Truly honored and grateful...all of a sudden, three new 5-star reviews for Ben Behind his Voices:

1 -"I will probably be listening to the CD over and over again for many years. Gives me comfort and courage to deal with my family member. Thank you so much Randye"
2 -"As a person with schizophrenia, I have never seen the journey through mental illness from the viewpoint of a parent. This book made me think, laugh, cry, and many other emotions. I related in many ways to Ben and saw my own mother in Randye. More people, in varying situations, need to read this eye-opening book."
3- "I am so grateful to the author who shares her story to educate and to enlighten those of us who are taking our first steps out of the chaos"

also came across this one, though it was in the form of a comment on another blog, and I can't find the author's page...(ah, Google Alerts)...

"Ben Behind His Voices is surely an inspirational tale a few family’s encounter with schizophrenia. The main target of Randye Kaye’s book is on her son Ben, who struggled for lots of years with psychological well being and compound abuse matters until finally he was as a final point the right way identified with paranoid schizophrenia. Kaye leads her visitors with the family’s very difficult activities using this ailment and their journey toward restoration and acceptance. This book may be a good source for people with schizophrenia and their families. In addition, it serves as the formidable reminder to psychological well being experts to treat men and women influenced with all the ailment with dignity and compassion."

You have truly made my day, readers. THANKS!

What's the Difference When Your Child's Illness is in the Brain? "Sympathy"

60 minutes recently did a segment on the plight of families dealing with mental illness.  They interviewed many families and healthcare professionals in Connecticut, on how our system fails our Mentally Ill Youth in Crisis.

Deeds: “The system failed my son”

Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds speaks out about how he was attacked by his son Gus, who suffered with schizophrenia. Virginia state senator Creigh Deeds suffered multiple stab wounds, and his 24-year-old son Gus died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot in what police are considering an attempted murder-suicide.

Read more: Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds' Son Evaluated and Released Before Stabbing | TIME.comhttp://nation.time.com/2013/11/19/before-senators-stabbing-a-shortage-of-psychiatric-beds/#ixzz2rzmupJD6

Connecticut families, in the continued aftermath of the Newtown shootings, still face the same issues of lack of beds, a revolving-door mental health system, and lack of support and help.

How I wish they had interviewed me, too - but the stories of Deeds and the other families are heartbreakingly similar. Sadly, the story in my book is not unique. Many suffer the same issues we do, every day, without support or even understanding.

In the "overtime" segment about stigma, a group of families shares the effect of stigma on their experience, and how a broken leg can bring casseroles, while a mental illness can bring warning letters from the lawyers of your neighbors.

What's the difference, according to one of the parents interviewed? "Sympathy."

Watch the clip here: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/nowhere-to-go-mentally-ill-youth-in-crisis

"Making Money Off My Son's Illness"? A response

This post started out quite differently.

I write another blog called Mental Illness in the Family, which appears on HealthyPlace.com, and though I usually keep these blogs separate from each other, I often wonder why.

Today's post on Healthy Place has to do with a topic I often - sadly - must revisit: relapse, or the return of symptoms. in it, I write:

Fellow NAMI Parents at 2013 NamiWalk in CT

I hate schizophrenia because it prevents Ben from moving ahead with his life. It gets in the way of every job he applies for, every friend he tries to make, every dream he has had so far of having a girlfriend, getting married, being a Dad. It forces him to be dependent on medication that he does not believe he needs. It puts him in a position that he knows is a drain on the family. Schizophrenia steals – even when treated to the best of current medicine’s abilities.

Schizophrenia has stolen joy from his eyes, clarity from his mind, possibilities from his future, depth from his

relationships, money from his wallet. He wishes for a car of his own, a job above minimum wage, a life that includes progress – but he seldom complains. His old high school buddy is now the dentist that fills his cavities. His little sister has accomplishments he may never see. Yet he is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

Today, though, it may be hard to be around him. Today, Ben may spend his day sitting at the local Starbucks, the “weird kid always singing to the music in his headphones” sitting in the corner with one cup of coffee for hours (though he does tip well). I hate this. I hate the ticking time bomb, always in danger of being re-set, that is schizophrenia.

In placing links inside this post, I found I had a new review for the book on Amazon. Unfortunately (though I know that, despite mostly 5-star reviews, you can't please everyone)  this reader wasn't too happy.

"WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH AUTHOR'S STORYI HAVE SUCH A SON ALSO...WITH MENATL ILLNESS.AFTER I READ THAT SHE WAS A CELEBRITY ... AND HALF OF THE BOOK IS TAKEN FROM THE NAMI SITEWHICH I ALREADY BELONG TO - SEEMED LIKE I ALREADY KNOW ALL THIS .. SHE IS JUST MAKING MONEY OFFOF HER SON'S ILLNESS."

Now, a big part of me knows not to even respond to a review like this. I also expect that the reader wished I had more answers for her, and that she is as frustrated with schizophrenia as we are.

But I feel I need to say four things in response:

1. I never claimed to have all the answers. I wish I did have them, believe me.

2. NAMI is clearly cited as the source for much of my information. Still, to my surprise, many families and professionals that I meet still have never heard of NAMI. So one of my goals for the book was to increase awareness of it. I'm glad you've already found that resource.

3. "Celebrity"? Wow. Simultaneously flattered  - and puzzled. Does being in the public eye (to a rather small extent, in my eyes, otherwise I surely would have been invited to appear on Oprah...) mean that my son's suffering is any less real? Or my family's journey?

4. "Just making money off her son's illness"? To that I must say: Ha! Ha to that as my motivation, and Ha to that as an income source. I wrote this to increase awareness, refute stigma, inspire change, spark empathy, and to help other families not feel alone. I wrote it for Ben's courage, and his right to receive better treatment, a chance at a future, and the understanding of others.

Still, I do thank you for the three stars, and I wish you hope, support and love in your family's journey. I wish my book had been able to give you what you needed from it. Since we are in the same boat, dear reader, I know your road isn't easy.

On Glee, Odd Behavior, and - Schizophrenia?

Today's post comes courtesy of Ben Behind His Voices reader - and fellow Mom and blogger - Kari Larson. She wrote to me about a recent episode of Glee that I had also watched....and noticed Sue Sylvester's line of dialogue that compares character Blaine's new interest (talking with puppets) to that of someone "with schizophrenia and off meds"

I had noticed it, but it didn't really hit me as insulting because...well, hey, this is Glee, where they exaggerate pretty much everything and nothing is really off limits. Everyone acts erratically on Glee, and eventually they usually redeem themselves with some lesson following the farce.

But my son Ben doesn't watch Glee, so he had no reaction to the episode. Kari, however, wrote about a different experience. 

Hi Randye,

My daughter is 17 and has schizophrenia. She and I have watched Glee since the very beginning and overall it's been a show that embraces all types of people.

The most recent episodes have really upset us, and I'm wondering if some of the dialogue has come to your attention.

In one episode, the character of Marley is complaining about her ex-boyfriend's erratic behavior, that he's nice one minute and horrible the next, and says it's so "schizo."

This not only upset me because it was said in a negative way, but because it's not even correct, further perpetuating the myth that schizophrenia entails a split personality disorder. Untrue.

Another episode -- quite possibly the very next one -- has Sue Sylvester complaining that she didn't want school board members coming to the school and seeing "schizophrenia" students talking to imaginary puppets (one character had a hand puppet).

My daughter is heartbroken. I've sent Twitter comments to Ryan Murphy (Glee creator), Glee on Fox (official Glee Twitter account) and one of the executive producers. I don't expect to hear anything back, but I was wondering if any of this has come across your radar.

Thank you,
Kari Larson

In her blog(http://ninepillsaday.com/) , Kari adds: "I’m annoyed by two things. One: Schizophrenia DOES NOT MEAN split personalities. Two: Please, unless you, the writers of Glee, are headed toward a fantastic teaching moment, STOP USING THAT WORD. Stop using any form of that word. It’s insulting and, more often than not, used incorrectly."

What do you think? Glee "just joking" in the way it does for many issues, or stigma to to be protested? Does Sue Sylvester owe us an apology in a future episode? 

"Socialization Over Isolation": Jani, Ben and Community

I am a firm believer in the possibility of Recovery in Mental Illness.

Does "recovery" mean "cure"? How I wish it did - but, at the present time, it means management of symptoms, and it means rebuilding  - of one's life, and also of neural pathways.

I have watched and guided my son Ben through a decade of recovery - the ups and downs, the crises and the careful restoration afterwards.  What this has taught us is that there are four cornerstones to the foundation of the recovery process:

• Medical Treatment (whatever that means for each individual)

• Structure

• Purpose, and

• Community. Love.

Since the publication of Ben Behind His Voices two years ago, there have been three additional steps in Ben's recovery process. One is that he now is employed, and has been for over two years. I've written about this in past posts if you want to know more about that (but it has strengthened the Purpose and Structure cornerstones). The second is that he now rents a room from us, his family. After eight years in a group home and then system failure (also a subject of past posts), home is the best place for him right now, as we continue to hold onto support systems for case management and the path to greater independence for Ben in the future. This experience has also added strength to the Medical Treatment (we supervise meds) and Community/Love corners.

The third change is the one that has also been a surprising boost to that cornerstone of Community. Ben's life now includes friends - including one that currently also rents a room from us, someone Ben met at school. This friendship had brought out a lot in Ben that seemed limited before: talking about relationships, taking bike rides through the woods, hiking, playing card games and video games that are not solitary.  For the first time in over a decade, I hear the sounds of  laughter, cheers, and cars in the driveway as other friends come over to hang out. And, yes, at last, with some of these friends, Ben can say "I'll be right back. Just gotta take my meds with my Mom." A miracle.

Wow. Socialization over Isolation. Yes, please.

The Jani Foundation is championing this cause by planning events for children with SED (serious emotional disturbances) to relate to each other - to provide community where they don't have to feel isolated. (Jani is the subject of the book January First (written by her father, Michael Schofield), and the follow-up airing of "Born Schizophrenic". They have created this t-shirt which echoed my feelings about Ben's recovery. Socialization, especially in places where you don't have to always feel "different", is vital to the process. I learned this in 2001, when I was allowed to attend a meeting of Schizophrenics Anonymous.  This excerpt from Ben Behind His Voices tells the story: 

"I once attended, in 2001, a meeting of Schizophrenics Anonymous. This group is based on principles similar to the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. After a lengthy conversation with Charlie, the founder of the local chapter, I was granted permission by the group to sit in. The week I went, there were about seven or eight people attending, in various stages of recovery. They asked me to share my perspective as the mother of someone with schizophrenia, and they spoke of their own paths toward recovery. Afterward, we all went out for pizza—because, as Charlie told me with a smile, “We need to practice socializing, you know.” They got the joke. “Besides, the pizza’s only two dollars a slice,” said Bill, another group member. I loved these people. They even joked about their past. They shared a genuine laugh over things they had once believed about themselves: that they had “known everything,” that they were meant to be elected president. This was the first time I had ever heard these stories told with any humor inside the tragedy. It felt like the ultimate acceptance, being able to laugh with each other about it. They had found community, and they had found laughter."

The feeling of community can also happen in Clubhouses,  programs where members are given purpose, and not just a "place to go". People with mental illness, like all of us, have times where they need to be alone and regroup. But too many are isolated too often - as are their families. I have spoken with Jani's parents, and even though we have never met, we share a bond. So do Jani and Ben. They just may not know it yet.

Loving through mental illness: "It's like he disappears..."

Sometimes we say things, and they stick.  Ever have someone repeat back to you something you said which touched them, even changed them, and you had no idea you'd said it? That's how interviews are sometimes.

Two years after Ben Behind His Voices was published, I still get the chance to spread the message of our story, and for that I am grateful. I feel like the book's journey has just begun, and though I plan an updated version sometime in the next year to include the latest developments, many tell me that the story is timeless to them, as it reflects where their family is right now in the mental illness journey - or where they hope to be. Others simply like its message of resilience, strength, and hope - regardless of the cause of the challenge.

Tomorrow night I look forward to a book-reading and Q/A at Plainville Public Library in CT.

Here is Lisa Capobianco's story about it in the Plainville Observer, including the quotes I'd forgotten I'd said - to which I added my own italics...

Author to share story of coping with son’s mental illness

November 8, 2013

By LISA CAPOBIANCO
STAFF WRITER
When national voice talent and actress Randye Kaye noticed her 15-year-old son Ben experiencing mood swings, frustration, and isolation, she thought he was going through a phase as a teenager. But as Ben transitioned into early adulthood, his symptoms worsened, and little did Kaye know that he was exhibiting symptoms of gradual on-set schizophrenia.“
This was beyond what I expected,” said Kaye, a former host of a morning radio talk show in Connecticut. “I did not know anything about it—I really had to learn and explore.”Schizophrenia affects 2.4 million American adults age 18 and older, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI reports that schizophrenia, marked by changes in brain chemistry and structure, may inhibit an individual’s ability to think clearly, to make decisions, and to manage emotions. Individuals with schizophrenia may also exhibit hallucinations as well as delusions, and may have a difficult time performing complex memory tasks.
For Ben, he began experiencing delusions at age 17 when he decided to drop out of high school without a realistic plan, and started smoking marijuana. Struggling to find help for Ben as doctors misdiagnosed her son’s illness, several years passed before finding the right medication. Ben was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20.
“I learned to have empathy for my son and how I could help him", said Kaye, who also serves as a teacher and advocate of NAMI. “When you lose a child to mental illness, it is like he disappears.”

From the time, Ben developed symptoms of gradual onset schizophrenia to the time he received treatment, Kaye said she struggled to support her family as a single parent with several jobs. When she quit her job as a radio station host, Kaye had time to reflect on her family’s experience, and decided to write an account of Ben’s battle with schizophrenia in her own book called, “Behind Ben’s Voices: One Family’s Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope.” In her novel, Kaye said she provides a better understanding of mental illness and the people who struggle with it.Kaye will share her story with residents at Plainville Public Library, 56 East Main St., on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., reading passages and answering questions. Through her story, Kaye said she hopes readers will gain a greater understanding of mental illness, and how to gain acceptance, resilience, and strength.Kaye also said she hopes not only to spread awareness, but also to break the silence among other families who may be struggling with a mental illness so they may become a sense of comfort for each other.“We need to understand that we are not alone—there is hope,” Kaye said.Kaye said her son, now 31 years of age, has developed stability in his life. Although he continues to take medication, Ben now takes college courses and holds a part-time job while starting a social life.“Parenting comes with adjusting your hopes and dreams,” Kaye said. “If your child develops a mental illness, you have to switch gears and still see what is good.”Kaye’s book will be available for purchase during the event, and is also available online at www.benbehindhisvoices.com.

Radio Interview: "We All Got Issues" Show

What's going on now? Why doesn't Ben "accept" his illness? What tips help families like ours to cope? Latest interview aired today,  September 23, 2013:

What is life like with a family member who has schizophrenia?  During this episode of the "We All Got Issues" show - schizophrenia is the ISSUE.  Dr. Glenda interviews Randye Kaye, the mother of a son with schizophrenia.  Randye is also the author of "Ben Behind His Voices: One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope".

Here is the show - starting with the song "The Climb" setting the tone.  Dr. Glenda Clare is an empathetic, knowledgeable interviewer. 

New Caregiving Internet Radio with WeAllGotIssues on BlogTalkRadio

Family Trip to Maine, as Schizophrenia Develops: Flashback, 2001

Dear Reader:

earlier drafts…

The first draft of Ben Behind His Voices was a full 100 pages longer than the draft that eventually got published.  Once in a while, I plan to post some of the "lost" passages that wound up on the writer's version of the cutting room floor.

This chapter describes a trip that I took with Ben and Ali, right after Ben returned from his period out West which began with great promise (and success at becoming pot-free), morphed into homelessness, and eventually got him back home  for treatment.  At this point in the story, we still didn't know for sure what kind of mental illness Ben had. Even now, we are the observers of symptoms, always watchful for their return, always hopeful they will not, or that they can be explained away by something other than the illness.  

Here is what happened:

"We took a weekend trip to Maine, just the three of us, right after Ben had finished his summer at the day camp. But Ben was acting very strangely again.

He had his backpack with him, always.  Forty pounds of spiral notebooks he just couldn’t leave behind – even if we were going to the beach, or walking near the sea cliffs.

He talked often, but not of ordinary things. His favorite topic that weekend was bragging to us about his “psychic powers.”  Often, he looked at me or Ali and said “I know exactly what you’re thinking. I can read your mind.”

The first few times, we played along.  He was never right, but would say that we were simply lying, that he must know more about what is in our minds than we did.

The three of us went to see a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Ogunquit playhouse.  Ben, however, often seemed distracted.  We caught him “watching” the show with his eyes completely closed.  He looked as if he were trying to go into a trance.

“What are you doing?” Ali asked him.

“I just enjoy the music better this way sometimes,” he said.

It was weird. It looked weird and it seemed weird. He seemed stoned – but there was no other evidence of that at all.

How many more days before we can go home?

And it was only a weekend vacation.

Ben spent the entire five-hour ride home talking. And talking. It was another non-stop monologue, mostly about his ideas and concepts. It seemed as if he simply could not turn off his brain.

We made it home, finally, and retreated to out quiet and separate corners.  I was worried. Does Ben need to increase his dosage of his medication?

Have they suddenly stopped working?"

Schizophrenia and Social Security Benefits

Where to Start?

When we began the process for Ben to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, I was overwhelmed by confusion, options, paperwork....and had very little idea how to begin, much less proceed. I welcome a guest blogger today, Ram Meyyappan, who has written this about Social Security Disability Help. If you have questions, you can contact him at ram@ssd-help.org 

Thanks!

Here is his article:

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits with Schizophrenia

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes Schizophrenia as a condition that qualifies for monthly disability payments. In order to be found eligible for either one of the disability programs you must show that despite following prescribed treatments your disease still prevents you from working.

Disability Programs

The SSA administers two different disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.Basic eligibility for either program requires:

• you suffer from a debilitating and formally diagnosed medical condition that has been present for at least 12 months, or which is expected to last at least that long, or which is terminal.

AND

• your condition prevents you from maintaining gainful employment in any field for which you would otherwise be qualified.

In order to qualify for SSDI, you must have a strong work history during which you paid FICA taxes. SSI does not take your work history into account. It is a needs-based program for people with limited income and assets. For more specific information on the requirements for SSI and SSDI, visit: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/

Meeting the Disability Listing for Schizophrenia

After meeting the basic eligibility criteria for SSD benefits, your application with the SSA will be reviewed to see if it meets the listing for Schizophrenia in the SSA’s manual of condition that qualify known as the Blue Book. This listing, which appears in section 12.03 of the Blue Book, requires you suffer from one of more the following issues on a consistent or intermittent basis:

• isolationistic behaviors that make you socially and emotionally withdraw

• illogical thinking

• incoherent speech

• inappropriate moods

• hallucinations

• delusions

• catatonia

• overly disorganized behavior

In addition to your application and accompanying medical documentation proving the previously mentioned signs and symptoms, your medical records and other supporting documentation must also show you experience serve limitations, including at least two of the following:

• the ability to participate or complete normal daily activities of living

• the ability to focus on and complete tasks, including normal job duties and tasks in your personal life

• the ability to maintain relationships or otherwise function in social situations

• to persist in life without experiencing lengthy and recurrent “episodes of decompensation”, which are periods during which your symptoms get substantially more prominent and pervasive

 For more information on applying with Schizophrenia, visit: http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/disabling-conditions/schizophrenia-and-social-security-disability

Getting Benefits without Meeting the Listing

Even if you are unable to qualify under either of the listings detailed above, you may still be able to receive disability benefits with Schizophrenia. To do so, you must show through your medical records and other documentation that you qualify for a medical vocational allowance, which simply means that while you do not meet a listed condition, your symptoms of Schizophrenia are still so severe that they prevent you from working.Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) report forms completed by you and by your doctor are the backbone of a medical vocational allowance. RFC reports on mental functioning and physical functioning may be required, dependent upon the symptoms and limitations you experience.

Applying for Benefits and What to Expect

Disability benefit applications can be completed online with the SSA’s website (http://www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability/) or in person at your local SSA office. Either way, it is important that you collect as many of your medical records and other documentation as possible before beginning your application. All of this documentation should be submitted at the same time, or just after, you turn in your completed application forms.

After submitting your application, you should expect to wait at least three months before receiving a decision. Don’t be discouraged if your application is denied. Almost 60% of applications are initially denied, There is an extensive appeals process during which you may still be approved for benefits.

Article by Ram Meyyappan, http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/blog

Social Security Disability Help 

Amanda Bynes: Will She Become the Celebrity Face of Schizophrenia?

Amanda Bynes is in the news - again. But this time, much of the focus is on the possibility of a schizophrenia diagnosis.  I mention this to Ben, and he says, "Hmmm. Interesting." This story will not, I suspect, make a dent in Ben's insight into his own illness - not now, at least. Patience is key when you love someone with schizophrenia - along with many other qualities.

But we follow the story, to see what the media does with it.  I see Hollywood Gossip report she is on a "drug cocktail" and comment:

"I'm so glad to hear that Amanda is responding to medication (not "drugs"...these are medications to restore balance, not drugs to alter it). Yes, the big question is there: will she take the meds on her own? In my experience, probably not. Many medical reasons for that (see "anosognosia") but her parents should definitely go ahead with conservatorship. It has been a huge help for us! I blogged about this at healthyplace.com, website with great info and support."

My blogs on conservatorship have gotten the attention of Marketplace, a smart and fair show on NPR that is business-oriented, and they have invited me to be part of a show  (coming up this week) on the topic of conservatorship, with Amanda in the news and all. This same issue came to light in when Britney Spears' parents sought to help their child after bizarre behaviors in public brought attention to her possible mental illness as well.  At that time, I was booked to appear on Dr. Drew's HLN show, but got bumped by a Hurricane Irene story. This time, I hope I can be of some help on Marketplace, sharing the family view of how conservatorship can help.

I am Ben's conservator, but it doesn't mean I run his life, or control him. I am simply allowed to help him when he needs the help - and, yes, sometimes when he doesn't know he needs that help. (when schizophrenia symptoms take hold.) It's a safety net. And we need it.

Watch this blog for updates!

The Aurora Shootings: One Year Later

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado.

Untreated schizophrenia seems to have been part of the picture of this awful tragedy,  one of the worst mass shootings in American history.

James Holmes, a young man suffering from chronic schizophrenia plotted and proceeded to carry out an attack on innocent movie goers.  

According to the Associated Press today,

Twelve people died, 70 were injured, and more than 300 fled into the night and into the arms of loved ones.

A year later, the survivors cannot forget their terror, or the injuries they suffered, or their losses. But they search for meaning, and sometimes find it: the victims whose faith has strengthened; the father who lost his son but found a cause; the couple who believe that the anniversary of a hateful act can be transformed by love.

The Huffington Post updated the story yesterday, recalling these details about shooter James Holmes' background before the event:

Citing a judge's gag order and privacy laws, those who know the most about Holmes' life in Colorado say little. But there were hints along the way that his life had taken a sharp and dangerous turn.

In March 2012, four months before the shootings, he told a classmate "about wanting to kill people ... and that he would do so when his life was over," prosecutors said in a filing.

Prosecutors also said he opened accounts at two dating websites in 2012 and wrote in his profile, "Will you visit me in prison?"

In June, about five weeks before the shootings, a psychiatrist who had been treating Holmes told a campus police officer that Holmes had made "homicidal statements" and threatened her.

Planning to Wed on Aurora Anniversary

Shooting survivors Eugene Han and Kirstin Davis say they have forgiven James E. Holmes, whose defense lawyers acknowledge was the gunman. They intend to "reclaim the date" by getting married tomorrow, the anniversary of the shootings they survived.

Meanwhile, the details remain cloudy. What are the details of James Holmes' illness, childhood, and were there warning signs that should have been heeded? What if he had been receiving treatment?

Most vitally: Could this have been prevented?

Gun control remains an issue, of course, but so does mental health treatment.

We must not sweep these issues under the table. One year is not enough - no time is ever enough - to recover emotionally from the the results of non-treatment that did not have to happen.

North Shore Schizophrenia Society's Review

Thanks to North Shore Schizophrenia, for their review!

The story of Randye Kaye’s son’s descent into psychosis and the long road to recovery reads like a diary, complete with dialogue, commentary, and an account of her own emotions as each incident and turn of events unfolds. You would think the attention to detail would weigh down the reader, but it has the opposite effect. It carries the reader along.

If you’re someone who has watched a member of your family fall ill, it will also bring you to tears – not tears of sadness but, if there are such things, tears of delight at how she got things so right. There’s a fair chance that in reading BenBehind His Voices, which is told by Kaye in the first person, you will be readingyour own story as well.

Her son Ben, a bright, energetic and creative kid, began to show signs ofdifficulty in his mid-teens, when he first went to high school. He started to withdraw. A previous straight-Astudent, he struggled with academic subjects. He declared to his mother that all the other students wereagainst him. He wouldn't take advice.

When he was just fifteen, he broke down one night in sobs after a big argument with his mother. “What’swrong with me, Mom? Please, please, find me someone to talk to.”We, the reader, know what’s happening, but we only know because we’ve been there. Kaye hadn’t. She didfind him someone to talk to – all kinds of people as the illness progressed. She was highly skilled, able toanalyze, had good connections, also had a good income (she was a major radio show personality), and waswilling to go to any length to help him, but still she was confounded by what was happening. The chaos wasjust beginning.

School teachers and counsellors, leaders at alternate programs, and a long list of psychiatrists failed to puttheir finger on what was wrong. In the meantime, his behaviour became more erratic and bizarre. “Newnormal” was replaced by another “new normal” seemingly without end.

Finally there was a turning point. She got the right diagnosis and Ben’s recovery got underway. As the bookends, he’s (responding to medication), and is still fragile and lacking insight, but he’s getting back on hisfeet. Kaye herself, among many other things, is training Family-to-Family teachers in her home state of Connecticut.

"Hearing Voices" Movement...Not For All

As the mother of a beautiful young man who struggles with schizophrenia every day of his life, I am always tempted by magical thinking.  What if Ben's symptoms could be brought under his control without medication? What is he could somehow manage the hallucinations himself, if he only "understood" their origin?

Our Brain -How Much in Our Control?

Oh, how I wish.

There is a growing movement of those who are doing just that, they say.  I have met a few of them, heard their theories, congratulate them on their success, and wish them every happiness.

My son, however, would be harmed by this  "hearing voices" movement - or, in the US, something called Mad In America. I'm glad it has worked for some - but it is not for everyone.

Susan Inman talks about this in Huffington Post,  Canada:

Many perfectly healthy people have auditory hallucinations. However, auditory hallucinations can also often be part of the chaos of a psychotic illness. In recent years, numerous groups have developed to assist "voice hearers," as some wish to be called. Unfortunately, most of these groups don't want to recognize the very different needs of people with severe mental illnesses.

Frequently, hearing voices groups encourage people to reject any diagnosis of mental illness, or "psychiatric labels," they may have been given. They encourage participants to listen closely to their voices to investigate their meanings and origins. Encouraging people to focus on their voices when they may be having a hard time differentiating between what's real and what's not real can be very poor advice.

Susan is the author of After Her Brain Broke: Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity. She is a Mom/advocate like me, with many academic achievements to her credit as well.

My comment to her post follows. A slightly shorter version appeared in HuffPost.

What do you think?

We are all "a little bit mad", if you count a mere touch of some of the symptoms that affect the life of my beautiful son, who has lived with severe schizophrenia for over 15 years.

Sure, we all live with some unwanted thoughts, with superstitions and rituals that comfort us somehow, with moods and desires that vary for many reasons. But most of function. We work, we love, we keep commitments, we plan for our futures. We know the difference between thinking, or wondering, about jumping off a bridge and actually doing it. We have a "thermostat of reality" which seems to save us from disaster.

My son Ben, however, without his medication, has no such thermostat. Trust me. Time and again, when his meds levels drop, he loses jobs, friends, purpose and - most sadly - any sense of joy.

Surely medication alone does not a recovery make. We, all of us, need some level of structure, purpose, and community to thrive. This varies with the individual, as does the level of need for medication.

The "hearing voices" concepts may be a helpful element of recovery once a level of stability is reached, but to assume that the movement is for everyone - much as we wish it were true, believe me - is not only shortsighted but downright dangerous.

Ask any family who has lost a loved one to schizophrenia's voices. Ask any family whose loved one has been a victim of someone who listened too hard to the voices, and could not stop. Ask the folks who attended a Batman premiere in Aurora, Colorado.

We need research. We need better treatment options. We need the right to find what works for each person who lives with serious mental illness.

Thank you, Susan.
Randye Kaye - author, Ben Behind His Voices: One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope

NAMI: How Strong Can an Affiliate Be?

The answer: Very Strong.

NAMI can make a tremendous difference, on levels from personal to political, and ranging from local to national.  I have felt it as a Family-to-Family participant, teacher and trainer; I have, I hope, nurtured it as a NAMI National Convention Presenter, and as a writer.

And, as a speaker and broadcaster, I've had the honor and privilege to see NAMI in action, in so many ways.  As a family member, I know that NAMI helped me to:

• learn about and accept my son's illness

• know that I was not alone, and

• find ways to turn our grief into advocacy and action.

Nowadays, NAMI serves and can represent those who are living with mental illness as well. Some call those affected by mental illness "consumers", others say "clients", or "patients", or "individuals"...and the debate on the right term may go on.  However, the need for respect, individual treatment, understanding and hope remains the much more important issue than finding the right word.

Keynote on Mental Illness: From Chaos to Hope

Last week, I got to know NAMI Summit County, Ohio, when I served as the keynote speaker for their 27th Annual Anniversary Celebration Dinner/Auction, themed "From Chaos to Hope." So close to the subtitle of Ben Behind his Voices...it had to be fate.

When I get the chance to speak to groups of those who care about mental illness issues as much as I do, I always feel that I learn more than I teach; once again, in Summit County, this proved to be the case.

The audience was filled not only with those affected by mental illness in themselves or a loved one, but also with Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trainer officers, judges, lawyers, healthcare and social work professionals , politicians, and other friends. I learned about the courage, resilience, and actions of so many, by listening to the recipients of the evening's Awards: Journey of Hope, Community Recognition, Lifetime Achievement, Heroes Make a Difference.

I met people who had lost a loved one to mental illness and turned their grief into advocacy; I met those living with mental illness who now mentor others in the same situation; I met the leaders of this affiliate, including of course Mel and Helen Reedy, who have spearheaded so many wonderful programs that show what NAMI can do when there is a vision, and it's properly supported.

NAMI Educational and Support Programs, and Beyond

NAMI Summit County, in addition to providing the Educational and Advocacy services we often associate with a NAMI Affiliate (support groups, speaker series, Family-to-Family, Basics,  and other educational programs), offers assistance to those who are striving to cope with a brain disorder. These programs include:

Housewarming

Housewarming provides new, basic household items to assist persons who can now live independently. Since the program’s inception, over 1,000 requests were filled (207 in 2011, alone), aiding in the transition to leading and independent life.

Needy Soles

Needy Soles footwear provides shoes, socks and other footwear to those who cannot afford to buy their own. 664 pairs of shoes were provided in 2011 via vouchers provided through our local Community Support Services organization.

Hair Care Program

Limited income can mean sacrificing basic personal care. A trip to the barber shop or salon promotes self-confidence while providing a basic need. Clients may obtain a voucher redeemable at the Akron Barber College. 608 haircuts were provided in 2011.

Creative Kids

A scholarship program offering the opportunity for kids in Summit County with Mental Health issues to participate in extracurricular activities such as art, drama, martial arts, music and more. 

Recovery in mental illness is a community process, and I am grateful to NAMI Summit County for showing me yet another example of what can be done when someone has a vision, and many work together to make it come true. That, indeed, is the path from Chaos to Hope. No one does it alone.

Thank you!

Lost chapter: NAMI Family-to-Family, Experiment

Between the first draft of Ben Behind His Voices and the final one that went to publication, a few chapters (well, about 100 pages) were on the literary equivalent of  film's "cutting room floor."    

Here is one of the "lost" segments, from a NAMI Family-to-Family class I was teaching at the time.

May of 2004

I’m teaching my fourth Family-to-Family series, and this group decides to try something different. They vote to invite the “ill relatives” we’ve been talking about for nine weeks to attend the class on Recovery and Rehabilitation, where a guest consumer speaks.  They want their relatives to hear the stories. This is unusual, but this class wants to do it; so tonight we are joined by about five of the people we’ve only heard about since February. Ben is one of them. It feels odd, their presence in the room – one of the most effective things about F2F is that, for once, the family members get to be open about themselves, honest about their own sorrows, frustrations, and hopes.  This is the one place where they don’t have to be conscious of how their words will sound to the person whose illness has caused all those emotions.

I, too, feel self-conscious with Ben in the room. Does he disagree with what I’m saying?  Will he rebel against the idea that I hope for a “recovery” from an illness he doesn’t yet accept?Will this help him, or set him back?

I watch our guests during the class. Most are young adults, but not all.  They listen to our speakers, ask some questions.  They offer some insights, and also some resistance. We are, in reality, not expecting to “convince” them, but we’re still hoping something may sink in sooner or later.  I know I am. You never know.

The best part of the evening comes, unexpectedly, during the break. While all the family members are inside the room, talking with the guest speakers around the snack table, our relatives have taken their snacks into the hall and are talking to each other.  They’re in a circle, and they are talking.  I don’t know what they say to each other, but I do know that my heart lifts at the sight.

They are not alone; they are not so different.  They need more of that comradeship. They need each other.  There are so few support groups for teens and young adults with mental illness, unless they’re in the hospital.  Perhaps, like all young adults, what they need most of all is a healthy peer group that can make them feel like a part of something, and can inspire them to take one more step in the right direction.

I plant seeds. I plant seeds of insight and I hope someday they will grow.

Call Me Crazy: You Are Not Alone in this Fight

Cast of Call Me Crazy

Lifetime is premiering a new film this Saturday at 8 PM:  

Call Me Crazy - and I can't wait to see it. I hope you will watch it too. 

Here is the description from Lifetime:

Through the five shorts named after each title character -- Lucy, Eddie, Allison, Grace and Maggie – powerful relationships built on hope and triumph raise a new understanding of what happens when a loved one struggles with mental illness. "Call Me Crazy: A Five Film" stars Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winners Jennifer Hudson, Melissa Leo and Octavia Spencer, Sarah Hyland, Sofia Vassilieva, Brittany Snow, Ernie Hudson, Jason Ritter, three-time Emmy Award®-winner Jean Smart, Lea Thompson, Oscar®-nominee Melanie Griffith and Chelsea Handler. Laura Dern, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bonnie Hunt, Ashley Judd and Sharon Maguire direct the anthology

NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) is a partner in this broadcast. They have a launched a new stigma-busting initiative as part of the campaign, encouraging us all to share our stories as part of You Are Not Alone in  This Fight.

As I myself prepare to visit Ohio, New York, Louisiana, Michigan, Connecticut and Tennessee in the next few weeks to share our story for Mental Health Awareness Month, I am thrilled that the messages will reach way beyond personal travels and speeches to reach the wide viewing public. 

Here is the story I shared on the NAMI site:

My son has experienced what I later learned is a fairly typical gradual-onset  pattern toward full-blown, and heartbreaking, schizophrenia. After years of chaos, we have gone through the stages of family emotional acceptance (NAMI Family-to-Family saved us, which is why I now teach and train others to teach it) and have hope once again - but that hope is always guarded, affected by stigma, caution and some sense of loss.

One saving grace comes in realizing we are not alone. Speaking out about family experience brings mental illness into the light, where it belongs. My book Ben Behind His Voices: One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope was created in part to open eyes, ears and hearts to the family experience - and get schizophrenia out of the closet so we can work on paths toward mental and emotional recovery.

Bravo to Lifetime - I hope this movie can help us take another step away from stigma and toward empathy, acceptance and solutions.

Randye Kaye

Why Be Open About Schizophrenia?

Let's talk about the question I get quite often, via reader e-mails, keynote Q & A, or sometimes in the form of a critical tweet or two accusing me of "exploiting" my son Ben by being open about out family's experience with his illness: schizophrenia.

Am I  "Exploiting" my Son by Sharing Our Family Experience with Mental Illness?

No. Because Ben has graciously allowed me to speak.

First of all,  Ben has given me permission to share our story, as long as I changed his first name, relay any messages he asks me to, but respect his privacy by not using adult photos or expecting him to go on the speaking circuit with me.  These things, I have gladly done.

While not willing to talk about schizophrenia (or even, frankly, agree that the diagnosis is correct), Ben does realize that by speaking (from my point of view as parent), we may be helping other families to cope, understand, and sometimes  come back together.  So this is something we have done, together, each in our own way.

Why be open about mental illness?

To reduce stigma by increasing understanding.

This video, produced for the "Stand Up for Mental Health" campaign at Healthy Place, explains how "through stories, we get the human face of any condition" and "fight for:

• Respect

• Advocacy, and

• Equality"

Please share, and check out the other videos there, if you know someone who may need to feel less alone.

"Silver Linings Playbook" and Meds: Why the Secrecy?

At the end of the movie Silver Linings Playbook, when main character Pat Peoples is about to embark on the next, happier, more stable part of his life, I think he says something to his ex-wife about doing much better because he is focused, determined, physically fit - and (shhh!)taking his meds.

I think he says this because it's muttered almost under his breath - like it's a big secret we don't need the audience to know. As if he could do it all by himself without those nasty "drugs".

Really? Most of the one-out-of-four families who deal with mental illness will say that, while all those other elements of recovery are also essential (love, purpose, helping others, exercise, structure) , they could be entirely useless without the medications that stabilize the brain. Albeit not perfectly.

Does Pat Peoples Take Meds in Silver Linings Playbook ?

One quote from the book:

"...a woman who knows all my secrets, a woman who knows just how messed up my mind is, how many pills I'm on, and yet she allows me to hold her anyway",

suggests that Pat did, after initial resistance (which we see in the film), take his medications (which we might see in the film, but it's left unclear).

How nice it would be if people like my son Ben, diagnosed with schizophrenia, could see a movie hero who learns to accept that his meds do help, openly swallow them in the movie, and acknowledge that they have been part of his recovery.

Thank You, Pharma Companies and Reps

In the past year, I've had the honor several times of addressing pharmaceutical reps to tell them how much their work matters. These reps have, well, a bum rap. The face stigma of their own, portrayed as money-hungry, aggressive, pill-pushers. I speak to them in my keynote asauthor and Mom, tell our story, and remind them that that without new developments in medication - which it is their job to make available - my son might not be where he is in life.

One comment from a recent attendee:

"Your story inspired our entire sales force to continue working hard to 'bring value to life' for patients and caregivers alike.  I can’t begin to tell you how moved other members of the company from other sales divisions were to hear your story—it really helped put a face on schizophrenia and the many challenges and hurdles faced by all concerned."

So - if you research, develop, work for access, make available, or otherwise help to bring new meds to people like my son - thank you. Keep at it, because many of these meds could certainly be improved. But you give our family hope.

Even if my son still feels he needs to hide the fact that medication is part of his recovery. Even if he wants to think all the success is due to his own willpower and drive.

Recovery Needs Many Things - Internal and External

I am a big fan of drive, exercise, community, purpose, and a positive attitude. But, where mental illness is concerned, those qualities are usually not enough - not without meds, especially in people as young as my son.

Maybe, someday, there will be a popular movie that, loud and proud, gives medical treatment some credit too.

(Still - I loved the movie.)

Mental Illness Treatment Laws: Does Connecticut Lag Behind?

The nation weeps

Weeks after the tragedy in Newtown, though facts are still to be confirmed about Adam Lanza's history, we struggle to understand how it might have been prevented - or, at least, how to help prevent it from happening again. 

First, some facts: Court-ordered hospitalization for mental illness is authorized in every state, but each state’s criteria for involuntary treatment is different. Connecticut's report card? Not so great.

“Connecticut's civil commitment laws are among the most restrictive in the nation when it comes to getting help for a loved one in psychiatric crisis,” said Kristina Ragosta, senior legislative and policy counsel for the Treatment Advocacy Center, who serves as the organization’s expert on Connecticut. Ragosta said the law is restrictive in three ways that differentiate it from states with stronger laws.

1. An individual needs to be dangerous before intervention is possible. The standard requires that the individual be a danger to self or others or a danger due to grave disability before commitment is possible.

2. The law provides no option for qualifying individuals to receive court-ordered treatment in the community. This makes Connecticut one of only six states that does not provide the option of assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) as a condition of living in the community.

3. The state’s standard does not take into consideration an individual’s past psychiatric history, such as repeated hospitalizations, and/or symptoms of psychiatric deterioration that could culminate in violence or other consequences of non-treatment."

Here is my letter to the state's bipartisan task force

Dear Committee:

I am the mother of a beautiful son who suffers from schizophrenia. "Ben" is now 30 years old, and with treatment is both a student (Dean's List) and taxpayer (employed in season at a Connecticut tourist attraction, where he interacts beautifully and appropriately with the public).

Without treatment, or when services are cut, he is a patient instead- wandering aimlessly through the halls of a psychiatric hospital until he agrees to go back on his meds. This has happened three times since Ben began his recovery phase - and each time we face the fact that he may never return to us, as there is no mandated treatment, no assisted outpatient treatment, and we his family are left holding the bag and guessing how to help him.

We have struggled to get our adult loved one help and been thwarted by the restrictive mental health treatment laws in Connecticut.

We were fortunate to get educated and supported by NAMI-CT, but other families are not so informed, and eventually feel they have no choice but to give up - and their loved ones wind up homeless, in jail, in a nursing home, or - worst - threatening others and/or acting upon delusions that are very real to them, and may include violence.

treatment works...when you can get it

While I understand that it is unclear what led to the events in Newtown, it is clear that our civil commitment laws are in need of reform.  Nancy Lanza, I will venture to guess, was left with no help, no legal right to mandate help for her son - and ended up guessing how to bind with him. In her case, she must have chosen the only thing she knew from her own childhood: target practice.

Mental Health treatment could have made all the difference.

Too many families, like ours, are left feeling helpless and unsupported. Eventually, our family was able to make educated guesses about how to help our son, because of NAMI, memoirs, and other sources of information. But not all families know how to find this info, and even we sometimes guess wrong. Trust me, no family should have to do it alone. We wind up broke, scared, frustrated, and grieving for the loss of hopes, dreams, and someone we love.

Mental health services make all the difference, and these are woefully underfunded, confusing to find, and difficult to maneuver.  The cost of not providing these services, as we saw in Newtown, is so much higher than funding them, both emotionally and yes, bottom line, financially.

The last time my son had a relapse, the government wound up paying for a seven-week hospital stay instead of part-time residential staffing that would have helped him stay stable.

You add it up.

Let's vote for our futures, and for the one in four families left dealing with mental illness all alone, and for the possibilities that can exist for those who receive treatment (assisted as needed) and support services.

We need a Kendra's law in Connecticut. It might have helped us so many times - and it might have helped those in Newtown.

You can read more about our story in my book, Ben Behind His Voices: One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope. or I will be happy to come and tell you in person.

Thank you.

Conversation Crossroad Interview

Here is the latest radio conversation about mental health, family support, the tragic (and possibly preventable) Newtown shootings, and more. So many issues.

Listen to internet radio with conxroad on Blog Talk Radio