Comments on: 2. My mentally ill brother is scheduled for trial http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/ Mon, 07 May 2012 15:44:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Dennis Allard http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-926 Dennis Allard Mon, 07 May 2012 15:44:16 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-926 DJH, you provide a concise summary of the problems that exist in both the US and the UK as to how mental illness is treated (or, more accurately, not treated). The burden often falls upon family and friends of those needing help to attempt to provide that help. Yet that is often an impossible task. I am not my brother's care giver. I have (tried to) help him. But I have had to draw a line over which I will not let him cross so I can have my own life to the point of having placed a restraining order on him at times so that when he goes completely nuts I have been able to force the police to arrest him so that he is no longer on the street going completely bananas. At those times the police themselves sometimes do not arrest him and leave him on the street. My efforts have also included an attempt to provide information to people who should be able to help him. But they themselves are thwarted by idiotic laws and jurisprudence. In once case where he had, while delusional, briefly snatched a lady's purse, he was arrested. I attempted to provide information to the court. Not allowed. You can't just walk in to a court and give information to the judge. I've tried and was once thrown out of the court house by a small-minded baliff for having daigned to open my mouth in court. No, you are at the mercy of the Public Defender or the District Attorney. In this case I mention, a one year process involving my brother's incarceration, a full jury trial, and conviction on charges reduced from felony assault to misdemenor battery took place. At NO TIME during this entire farcical use of tax payer money was my brother's history of mental illness brought up in court testimony. As far as the jury knew, he was just another homeless person who did something bad. DJH, you provide a concise summary of the problems that exist in both the US and the UK as to how mental illness is treated (or, more accurately, not treated).

The burden often falls upon family and friends of those needing help to attempt to provide that help. Yet that is often an impossible task.

I am not my brother’s care giver. I have (tried to) help him. But I have had to draw a line over which I will not let him cross so I can have my own life to the point of having placed a restraining order on him at times so that when he goes completely nuts I have been able to force the police to arrest him so that he is no longer on the street going completely bananas. At those times the police themselves sometimes do not arrest him and leave him on the street.

My efforts have also included an attempt to provide information to people who should be able to help him. But they themselves are thwarted by idiotic laws and jurisprudence. In once case where he had, while delusional, briefly snatched a lady’s purse, he was arrested. I attempted to provide information to the court. Not allowed. You can’t just walk in to a court and give information to the judge. I’ve tried and was once thrown out of the court house by a small-minded baliff for having daigned to open my mouth in court. No, you are at the mercy of the Public Defender or the District Attorney. In this case I mention, a one year process involving my brother’s incarceration, a full jury trial, and conviction on charges reduced from felony assault to misdemenor battery took place. At NO TIME during this entire farcical use of tax payer money was my brother’s history of mental illness brought up in court testimony. As far as the jury knew, he was just another homeless person who did something bad.

]]> By: DJH http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-925 DJH Mon, 07 May 2012 14:14:27 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-925 Hi there....your brother is really quite ill isn't he, and it must be very hard work for you trying to get him the right help. If it's any consolation, the same happens here in the UK where sick people are shuttled round the prison system, mental health institutions, outreach in the community care programs..it can be soul destroying for you as his carer. I know you know he needs residential mental health care where they make him take his meds, and try to give him an 'insight' into the fact that he is ill, with therapy. The longer he stays in a place like this, the better he will get. In the mean time keep yourself safe emotionally and I wish you success with his future. ps- I have had 20 years of schizophrenia, and it does get better IF you treat it properly. I live a 'normal' life now, whatever that is! Hi there….your brother is really quite ill isn’t he, and it must be very hard work for you trying to get him the right help. If it’s any consolation, the same happens here in the UK where sick people are shuttled round the prison system, mental health institutions, outreach in the community care programs..it can be soul destroying for you as his carer. I know you know he needs residential mental health care where they make him take his meds, and try to give him an ‘insight’ into the fact that he is ill, with therapy. The longer he stays in a place like this, the better he will get. In the mean time keep yourself safe emotionally and I wish you success with his future. ps- I have had 20 years of schizophrenia, and it does get better IF you treat it properly. I live a ‘normal’ life now, whatever that is!

]]> By: Roshon http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-920 Roshon Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:34:02 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-920 My son is getting for trial he too has a mental illness schizophrenic. He has been diagnosed since the age of five, now when he is not on medication hearing voices he has a second charge this time robbery. The hired attorney quit and left the family to seek a public defender. He just turned 21 and the old case happened before he was an adult. The court indicted him and want 20 to life. My heart goes out to any family going through the justice system having a love one with a mental illness. I will keep you in prayers and request you do the same for ours. Respectfully, Roshon B My son is getting for trial he too has a mental illness schizophrenic. He has been diagnosed since the age of five, now when he is not on medication hearing voices he has a second charge this time robbery. The hired attorney quit and left the family to seek a public defender. He just turned 21 and the old case happened before he was an adult. The court indicted him and want 20 to life. My heart goes out to any family going through the justice system having a love one with a mental illness. I will keep you in prayers and request you do the same for ours.

Respectfully,
Roshon B

]]> By: Nick http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-804 Nick Mon, 23 May 2011 21:49:01 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-804 Also, I am aware of no positive long term effects of cannabis so anything you say about positive effects is news to me. Also, I am aware of no positive long term effects of cannabis so anything you say about positive effects is news to me.

]]> By: Nick http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-803 Nick Mon, 23 May 2011 21:46:27 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-803 Brandon, I think you may have some mother-child relationship issues which may be clouding the issue. The use of cannabis is theoretically a potential benefit, according to your research but I think the issue here is your mother's determination to do what she wants - against your advice - and how bringing cannabis into this might have drastic consequences later on, due to the peculiarities of the drug. The cannabis will relieve lots of stress and anxiety issues, particularly any interpersonal issues relating to you, family and those close to her. This lines her up for abusing the drug and just using it for interpersonal problems and I think this would encourage her to "score" weed off the streets at a later date; different types of weed that aren't the type you refer to and offer no benefit and in many cases are full of THC, which is well documented in triggering psychotic illnesses in the first place. I'm not a doctor but I have a lot of experience with cannabis, cannabis users and psychotic people who use/used cannabis. I think you're being too liberal and idealistic. You do not want to be tied into a close relationship with someone (i.e. in your case your mother) who has cannabis or any other drug abuse problems. I know someone who took cannabis for pain (supposedly) and now just uses it like an alcoholic uses alcohol and has had a lot of psychosis and delusions because of this. Brandon, I think you may have some mother-child relationship issues which may be clouding the issue. The use of cannabis is theoretically a potential benefit, according to your research but I think the issue here is your mother’s determination to do what she wants – against your advice – and how bringing cannabis into this might have drastic consequences later on, due to the peculiarities of the drug. The cannabis will relieve lots of stress and anxiety issues, particularly any interpersonal issues relating to you, family and those close to her. This lines her up for abusing the drug and just using it for interpersonal problems and I think this would encourage her to “score” weed off the streets at a later date; different types of weed that aren’t the type you refer to and offer no benefit and in many cases are full of THC, which is well documented in triggering psychotic illnesses in the first place. I’m not a doctor but I have a lot of experience with cannabis, cannabis users and psychotic people who use/used cannabis. I think you’re being too liberal and idealistic. You do not want to be tied into a close relationship with someone (i.e. in your case your mother) who has cannabis or any other drug abuse problems. I know someone who took cannabis for pain (supposedly) and now just uses it like an alcoholic uses alcohol and has had a lot of psychosis and delusions because of this.

]]> By: Brandon http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-654 Brandon Mon, 22 Nov 2010 07:28:03 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-654 I know exactly what you're going through more or less. Your brother has this internal dialogue and world view that screws with his causal analysis to certain degrees that make him have grand delusions and see "connections" when there aren't connections. He acts some what normal a lot of time for certain people to not draw unwanted attention to him, because he knows, despite what he "actually knows," people don't agree with him and it's usually best to not say "too much" so people won't get suspicious of him. My mom has been a paranoid schizophrenic for about 16 years now and she's never acknowledged her condition or agreed to get help. She doesn't see or hear imaginary things exactly, like voices or imaginary people I think. She just has paranoid delusions and bouts of episodes triggered by many things. She's not a direct threat to herself or others so the police or the state can't do much. She's been out of work for at least 12 years and she'll most likely never go back since she also has chronic pain for fibromyalgia, which may be complicating her mental condition. She's pretty smart and mentally active, she'll read and write like crazy. She's incredibly hard to talk to most of the time, you can never get a really coherent answer from her concerning questions about her life or what she thinks about social matters. Parts of her personality have changed drastically, while others have staid the same. However intense some of her episodes can be, she is probably the nicest and sweetest and most caring person I've ever met. She misinterprets a lot of people's behavior as malicious or threatening and includes such behavior into bizarre theories or delusions that have no rational explanations or reasoning behind them. She's consumed with reading legal code and keeps up a lot with Congressional affairs. Her delusions seem to be changing on a constant basis. Some used to be centered around Steven Spielberg and certain governmental officials like President Bush and Dick Cheney. They got very complex at times, but I stopped asking because trying to understand something which is incoherent is just insane itself so I mostly stopped. It's just tiring to try, she's so resistant to questioning that really the only way you can learn something is by her just telling you at random times, or when she's triggered by something she's heard or seen. Most of her delusions just revolve around the government spying on her and torturing her. The things she's told me are so disturbing they could probably make Stephen King shit his pants. She believes the government is constantly watching her through wiretaps and other means. I can't go to her house without her telling me the government broke her nose or something else. I don't even want to get started on the sexual abuse she's reported, even though it's absurd to hear it breaks my heart to tell her nothing's happened to her, because it has in a sense. I can't deny her delusions anymore, I just don't respond to them and try to enjoy what normal conversation there is left. And she would tell me this at a young age, like as young as 8 years old. I had to live with my dad but I still wanted to see her weekly, because I love her very much and I know that I'm pretty much one of the few people she has any meaningful contact with along with my brother and sister. She's practically disowned my uncle, grandma, and grandpa because they tried to help her by trying to get her on Social Security and other governmental aid programs, but with her being so non-compliant it just become a huge shit storm and they got screwed over by Social Security, leaving them with all the financial burden of supporting her. That's the thing with her and many schizophrenics, it's not like other diseases, it works against the them and stops them from getting help, usually they deny having it. Cancer patients would never fight their family to avoid getting treatment would they? It's a self-defeating and vicious cycle, where trying to help them actually can make their condition worse. It's almost a blessing if they become an obvious harm to themselves or others because then getting them help becomes much more easier in a legal sense. Unfortunately, my mother has not passed that point, however I'm not exactly praying for it either. It's a cluster fuck no matter what happens. You try to help them, you get screwed, you don't help them they get screwed. I just wish our court system had a better way of dealing with the mentally ill who are essentially harmless to society, but are also non-complaint and wish not to seek proper help. The families pretty much have to wait and watch their loved ones slowly and painfully sink mentally and physically until they reach a point where they can legally intervene. My grandma has been screwed over by the state of California and social security trying to get conservatorship over my mom and trying to get her proper benefits. The courts only rule mentally ill people mentally ill when it's convenient for them to do so. When the state actually has to address the problem and try to help the mentally ill, they dodge it whenever possible. They'd rather throw them in jail or let them rot than spend a few dollars trying to treat them respectfully and intelligently in a way that works best for the family and the actual victims of this bullshit disease. The courts in San Diego have said she's both incompetent and sane so many times I don't even know what they hell is going on. They make the families jump through so many hoops it's just painful to watch. I hope your brother can find a way to get stable again, stay on his meds, and most importantly, have a decent functioning life that makes him happy and you happy. I wish I could even get my mom to try meds. It would mean the world to me to see her somewhat normal again, it's been so long since I could remember her being happy. Although my sister is about to get her doctors degree in psychology and is trying to get my mom on meds, I've been researching cannabinoids myself as a hopeful way to treat her. Since there's practically no way for her accept meds for her mental condition, I'm thinking about about getting her to try a high CBD strain of cannabis for her chronic pain. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown a lot of promise in relieving schizophrenic symptoms, since its main properties reduce anxiety and stress, help improve sleep, reduce pain, helps stop habitual behavior, and is also a neuroprotectant, which helps stop cognitive digression. Her schizophrenia and chronic pain all cause these symptoms so I'm hoping that I can get her to try it a couple of times and see what happens. She has no problem taking medication for pain, but she will not even discuss taking meds for her mental condition. She's warming up to the idea of using cannabis, but is concerned about the legal status, even though it's legal in California. It looks like the only promising thing I can do at the moment. Although Tetrahydrocannabinol is known to increase paranoia, CBD counteracts the effects of THC and almost works as an opposing active pharmacological compound. It's very promising though, and she's getting more open to the idea all the time. I hope you can find a way to better your relations with your brother, you must have an absurd amount of patience and love for your brother to keep trying to help him after so many years. I know exactly what you’re going through more or less. Your brother has this internal dialogue and world view that screws with his causal analysis to certain degrees that make him have grand delusions and see “connections” when there aren’t connections. He acts some what normal a lot of time for certain people to not draw unwanted attention to him, because he knows, despite what he “actually knows,” people don’t agree with him and it’s usually best to not say “too much” so people won’t get suspicious of him. My mom has been a paranoid schizophrenic for about 16 years now and she’s never acknowledged her condition or agreed to get help. She doesn’t see or hear imaginary things exactly, like voices or imaginary people I think. She just has paranoid delusions and bouts of episodes triggered by many things. She’s not a direct threat to herself or others so the police or the state can’t do much. She’s been out of work for at least 12 years and she’ll most likely never go back since she also has chronic pain for fibromyalgia, which may be complicating her mental condition. She’s pretty smart and mentally active, she’ll read and write like crazy. She’s incredibly hard to talk to most of the time, you can never get a really coherent answer from her concerning questions about her life or what she thinks about social matters. Parts of her personality have changed drastically, while others have staid the same. However intense some of her episodes can be, she is probably the nicest and sweetest and most caring person I’ve ever met. She misinterprets a lot of people’s behavior as malicious or threatening and includes such behavior into bizarre theories or delusions that have no rational explanations or reasoning behind them. She’s consumed with reading legal code and keeps up a lot with Congressional affairs. Her delusions seem to be changing on a constant basis. Some used to be centered around Steven Spielberg and certain governmental officials like President Bush and Dick Cheney. They got very complex at times, but I stopped asking because trying to understand something which is incoherent is just insane itself so I mostly stopped. It’s just tiring to try, she’s so resistant to questioning that really the only way you can learn something is by her just telling you at random times, or when she’s triggered by something she’s heard or seen. Most of her delusions just revolve around the government spying on her and torturing her. The things she’s told me are so disturbing they could probably make Stephen King shit his pants. She believes the government is constantly watching her through wiretaps and other means. I can’t go to her house without her telling me the government broke her nose or something else. I don’t even want to get started on the sexual abuse she’s reported, even though it’s absurd to hear it breaks my heart to tell her nothing’s happened to her, because it has in a sense. I can’t deny her delusions anymore, I just don’t respond to them and try to enjoy what normal conversation there is left. And she would tell me this at a young age, like as young as 8 years old. I had to live with my dad but I still wanted to see her weekly, because I love her very much and I know that I’m pretty much one of the few people she has any meaningful contact with along with my brother and sister. She’s practically disowned my uncle, grandma, and grandpa because they tried to help her by trying to get her on Social Security and other governmental aid programs, but with her being so non-compliant it just become a huge shit storm and they got screwed over by Social Security, leaving them with all the financial burden of supporting her. That’s the thing with her and many schizophrenics, it’s not like other diseases, it works against the them and stops them from getting help, usually they deny having it. Cancer patients would never fight their family to avoid getting treatment would they? It’s a self-defeating and vicious cycle, where trying to help them actually can make their condition worse. It’s almost a blessing if they become an obvious harm to themselves or others because then getting them help becomes much more easier in a legal sense. Unfortunately, my mother has not passed that point, however I’m not exactly praying for it either. It’s a cluster fuck no matter what happens. You try to help them, you get screwed, you don’t help them they get screwed. I just wish our court system had a better way of dealing with the mentally ill who are essentially harmless to society, but are also non-complaint and wish not to seek proper help. The families pretty much have to wait and watch their loved ones slowly and painfully sink mentally and physically until they reach a point where they can legally intervene. My grandma has been screwed over by the state of California and social security trying to get conservatorship over my mom and trying to get her proper benefits. The courts only rule mentally ill people mentally ill when it’s convenient for them to do so. When the state actually has to address the problem and try to help the mentally ill, they dodge it whenever possible. They’d rather throw them in jail or let them rot than spend a few dollars trying to treat them respectfully and intelligently in a way that works best for the family and the actual victims of this bullshit disease. The courts in San Diego have said she’s both incompetent and sane so many times I don’t even know what they hell is going on. They make the families jump through so many hoops it’s just painful to watch. I hope your brother can find a way to get stable again, stay on his meds, and most importantly, have a decent functioning life that makes him happy and you happy. I wish I could even get my mom to try meds. It would mean the world to me to see her somewhat normal again, it’s been so long since I could remember her being happy. Although my sister is about to get her doctors degree in psychology and is trying to get my mom on meds, I’ve been researching cannabinoids myself as a hopeful way to treat her. Since there’s practically no way for her accept meds for her mental condition, I’m thinking about about getting her to try a high CBD strain of cannabis for her chronic pain. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown a lot of promise in relieving schizophrenic symptoms, since its main properties reduce anxiety and stress, help improve sleep, reduce pain, helps stop habitual behavior, and is also a neuroprotectant, which helps stop cognitive digression. Her schizophrenia and chronic pain all cause these symptoms so I’m hoping that I can get her to try it a couple of times and see what happens. She has no problem taking medication for pain, but she will not even discuss taking meds for her mental condition. She’s warming up to the idea of using cannabis, but is concerned about the legal status, even though it’s legal in California. It looks like the only promising thing I can do at the moment. Although Tetrahydrocannabinol is known to increase paranoia, CBD counteracts the effects of THC and almost works as an opposing active pharmacological compound. It’s very promising though, and she’s getting more open to the idea all the time. I hope you can find a way to better your relations with your brother, you must have an absurd amount of patience and love for your brother to keep trying to help him after so many years.

]]> By: RE http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-557 RE Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:52:38 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-557 Thank you for this very direct view into living with schizophrenia. My aunt suffered with this for years and my mother began showing severe symptoms 2 years ago. Actually, she's been unusual longer than that, but my family wouldn't listen to my concerns. I hear the frustration in your voice during the video - I've lived it these last two years. I know it's not the right thing to do as she doesn't live a reality that is real to me. My father is very sympathetic to her to a point of being destructive and excusing possibly threatening behaviors when he should be acknowledging them. I know that we should be sensitive, I know that we should try to support these people, but how do you support someone that doesn't seek help and continue to be a part of a situation you can do nothing about. If it were up to me, she would have been institutionalized by now, but I am reminded by my father every time she has an "episode" the most recent involving threatening contractors at her home with a pistol, that he is the only one that can take the next step into doing anything. I suppose that will have to be when she shoots someone or injures herself, something none of us wish to happen. I've found few resources for family members living through this nightmare. Thank you for this very direct view into living with schizophrenia. My aunt suffered with this for years and my mother began showing severe symptoms 2 years ago. Actually, she’s been unusual longer than that, but my family wouldn’t listen to my concerns. I hear the frustration in your voice during the video – I’ve lived it these last two years. I know it’s not the right thing to do as she doesn’t live a reality that is real to me. My father is very sympathetic to her to a point of being destructive and excusing possibly threatening behaviors when he should be acknowledging them.

I know that we should be sensitive, I know that we should try to support these people, but how do you support someone that doesn’t seek help and continue to be a part of a situation you can do nothing about. If it were up to me, she would have been institutionalized by now, but I am reminded by my father every time she has an “episode” the most recent involving threatening contractors at her home with a pistol, that he is the only one that can take the next step into doing anything. I suppose that will have to be when she shoots someone or injures herself, something none of us wish to happen. I’ve found few resources for family members living through this nightmare.

]]> By: Dennis Allard http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-400 Dennis Allard Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:04:41 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-400 He has not seen it to my knowledge. He has been incarcerated for much of the time since it was made and, when in liberty, has been delusional. Currently (July 2010) he is in a hospital and stable but does not wish to talk with me. He has not seen it to my knowledge. He has been incarcerated for much of the time since it was made and, when in liberty, has been delusional. Currently (July 2010) he is in a hospital and stable but does not wish to talk with me.

]]> By: Benjamin Weaver http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-397 Benjamin Weaver Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:59:42 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-397 You told your brother in the video that you were going to show it to him in a week. Did he, in fact, see it at some later time, possibly in a different state of mind? If so, I'm curious as to what his thoughts were about it. You told your brother in the video that you were going to show it to him in a week. Did he, in fact, see it at some later time, possibly in a different state of mind? If so, I’m curious as to what his thoughts were about it.

]]> By: Dennis Allard http://oceanpark.com/blog/2009/08/my-mentally-ill-brother-is-scheduled-for-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-373 Dennis Allard Fri, 28 May 2010 15:09:33 +0000 http://oceanpark.com/blog/?p=64#comment-373 Anger Management does not apply in my brother's case because when he goes off his meds he is not rational and does not think logically or reason about things in a way that leads to dealing with the real issue. This is a disease that affects his ability to think. Anger Management does not apply in my brother’s case because when he goes off his meds he is not rational and does not think logically or reason about things in a way that leads to dealing with the real issue. This is a disease that affects his ability to think.

]]>