“In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness.”
So says the now-gone-viral essay of Liza Long entitled “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother,” a no-nonsense and painfully honest glimpse inside life with a mentally ill son. Her 13-year-old has pulled a knife on her, threatened to kill her and threatened to kill himself.
“I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me.”
When son “Michael” once again threatened suicide again some days later, Long make good on her promise to take him to the mental hospital.
“Michael was in a full-blown fit by then, screaming and hitting. I hugged him close so he couldn’t escape from the car. He bit me several times and repeatedly jabbed his elbows into my rib cage. I’m still stronger than he is, but I won’t be for much longer.”
So what is a mother to do?
“When I asked my son’s social worker about my options, he said that the only thing I could do was to get Michael charged with a crime. ‘If he’s back in the system, they’ll create a paper trail,’ he said. ‘That’s the only way you’re ever going to get anything done. No one will pay attention to you unless you’ve got charges.’”
Something needs a real big overhaul, and it looks like that something is mental health treatment options, an issue often overlooked or outright ignored. Only time will tell if the most recent act-out shooting will make a difference or how many others need to happen before it does.
Read the full essay at The Blue Review: http://thebluereview.org/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother/
