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Showing posts with the label when someone is mentally ill

WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A MENTAL DISORDER

       It started as a typical weekday morning for the Michaels. The family of four was up and dressed for the day’s activities. Tina reminded her 14-year-old son, Matt, that it was past time to catch the school bus. What followed was completely unexpected. Within half an hour, Matt, spray-painted a bedroom wall, tried to set fire to the garage, and attempted to hang himself in the attic. Tina, and her husband, Frank, followed the ambulance that took Matt away, desperately trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Sadly, though, this was just the beginning. Many psychotic episodes followed, plunging Matt into dark world of mental illness. His five-year period of anguish included several suicide attempts, two arrests, placement in seven psychiatric facilities, and countless sessions with mental-health professionals. Confused friends and relatives were often at a loss for what to say or do. It is estimated that 1 in 4 people worldwide will be afflicted with a