Did you catch this last Friday's 20/20 re: Juvenile Schizophrenia

TheMightyFavog

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 09:20 AM
Original message

Did you catch this last Friday's 20/20 re: Juvenile Schizophrenia

Edited on Sun Mar-14-10 09:43 AM by TheMightyFavog

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/MindMoodNews/schizophrenia-children-resources/story?id=10084227

Last spring, 7-year-old Jani Schofield was diagnosed with schizophrenia, in part because of her incessant hallucinations that she says command her to hit and bite people. Nine-year-old Rebecca Stancil was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after she tried to kill herself to stop the voices inside her head. Brenna Wohlenberg, 14, has not yet been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but she says sinister spirits instruct her to become a serial killer. Her 12-year-old sister Ailish also struggles with hallucinations and violent inclinations.

One part really got to me. The 14 year old schizophrenic was prematurely discharged from the psych hospital because the health insurance ran out. Minutes after returning home, she broke down. It's a scene that really makes you feel good about the USA, home of the "Greatest Health Care System in the World" (TM)

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

etherealtruth

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 09:25 AM
Response to Original message

1. The treatment of the mentally ill in this country is disgraceful

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Wizard777

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 09:29 AM
Response to Original message

2. Psych wards are a scam. The second the checks stop you're well enough to leave.

But not until the checks stop. As long there is a check to be had they will even go to court to hold you against your will to preserve their income. But the second the checks stop they will toss you out on your ear regardless of your mental health.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

zbdent

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 09:36 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. not only that, it takes you the exact amount of time that your insurance covers

to become "well" ... no more, no less ... the EXACT amount of time covered.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

hlthe2b

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 09:32 AM
Response to Original message

3. Not too late to do a little edit...

Juvenile Schizophrenia ;)

Thanks for posting. This is an important, if depressing story.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

BlueIris

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 10:02 AM
Response to Original message

5. I feel really horrible for anyone living with schizophrenia (or a friend/relative who does).

...egh. There are still so few good treatment options for this complex, misunderstood condition. And that's for those with insurance and access to care.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

drm604

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 12:54 PM
Response to Original message

6. I had no idea that children could have schizophrenia.

I've always been under the impression that it was something that began in adolescence or early adulthood.

We had a family acquaintance (an adult) who suffered from the condition. It was possibly the most tragic and frightening thing I've ever seen. When you know someone like this you become very aware that our very thoughts and personalities are largely a result of biology and that something could happen at any time that could take away our control of them.

The thought that a child could suffer from it is... well, it's unthinkably tragic.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Odin2005

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 01:01 PM
Response to Reply #6

7. Back in the day high-functioning autistics were diagnosed with "Childhood Schizophrenia".

Edited on Sun Mar-14-10 01:06 PM by Odin2005

So I am suspicious.

There are many stories of older autistic individuals that have been mentally damaged by being thrown in institutions by "experts" that thought they were schizophrenic. it doesn't help that an autistic kid will often answer "yes" to the question "do you hear voices" because of literal thinking.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Starry Messenger

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Mar-14-10 01:03 PM
Response to Original message

8. Jani's dad Michael has a blog that documents what has been going on in their lives

http://www.januaryfirst.org/www.januaryfirst.org/Janis_Journey.html

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Thu May 02nd 2024, 09:20 AM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.