I have a cousin who has been diagnosed with several mental illnesses. He has been diagnosed with post-traumatic
stress disorder and bipolar. The most
recent diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia.
He has been declared mentally
disabled and is receiving social security since he is unable to work. What the family did not know until recently is
that my cousin had been diagnosed mentally disabled during his teenage years so
he may have other mental illnesses that I am not aware of. My cousin has spent most of his life in prison
as a result of the three strike rule. He
was sentenced to life in prison and always claimed he was innocent which
resulted in a review of his case and his release. By the time he was released the damaged from
years in prison had been done. Before
interacting with my cousin, I researched the different types of schizophrenia
so I had a better understanding of his behaviors, possible actions and
reactions. To be honest what I learned
scared me and had me walking on eggshells around him. I was always polite and stayed away from
controversial topics that I thought might anger him. Apparently I was not the only person who felt
that way because my mom said the same thing.
We both know my aunt won’t tell my cousin “no” because she’s afraid of
making him angry. I don’t know what
medications my cousin is taking or if he’s even taking his medications but I
hope he is because he is a danger to society if he doesn’t. My cousin is like a walking time-bomb and you
never know what will make him explode.
Wow, your post is very powerful. I could not imagine being diagnosed with multiple mental illnesses. I do not blame you for feeling that you are going to set him off with anything that you say. That is so difficult to watch your cousin struggle in life, especially, mentally. I pray that your cousin finds peace soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found my post powerful and thank you for your prayers. I don't see my cousin often because he lives in Georgia which makes it more difficult to know what not to say around him. i tend to stick to "Hi how are you?" the weather, food, and other topics that seem safe. I feel for him too because he received these illnesses from his father's side of the family. His brother who has a different dad, hasn't been diagnosed with any mental illnesses. It's crazy how genetics works.
DeleteSadly many people with mental illnesses do end up in prison. And unfortuntely many do not recieve proper treatment while incarcerated which doesn't help matters. I am sure it must be very hard to act normal around your cousin and not worry about his emotional stability. I hope he is taking his medication because like you said he could be a danger to society. It must be very hard on your aunt to see her son struggle and have to appease him to keep him happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that many people with mental illnesses end up in prison and I can't help but wonder if they would have committed those crimes if they were properly diagnosed at an earlier point in their lives. There are some mental illnesses that medical professionals will not consider depending on the age of a patient because of the stigma associated with the diagnosis so it takes longer for these people to receive the proper medical treatment because they have to rule out all the other illnesses first. I think the delay in proper treatment is a contributing factor in these people ending up in prison. I know it has to be hard for my aunt especially if he's not taking his medications. I just pray for them.
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