Much of my adult life, has been spent caring for my paranoid schizophrenic mother. I have been asked my favoritequestions "why don't you do somethin' bout her" and "is she on drugs?" The answers always are "No!"and "No!" The truth is, it isn't illegal to be "insane" in the USA and my mother is completely medication/drug free (unless of course she has been court ordered to take her meds for her mostly petty crimes).
It is time for this country and its doctors and scientists to wake up, listen, (I hope you notice my purposeful exclusion of law enforcement because that is a novel's worth of reformation) and insist on change. Medications need to change, interactions need to change, and acceptance and insistence need to lead the reform.
Having driven her cross country numerous times, after rescuing her from our legal system, has taught me lessons no one could comprehend. I am grateful for the unique perspective on what I call the "human condition" because of my crazy little mom. From learning how to stand up to her "victims" and give them the "I told you to leave her alone" speech, to simple, yet moving children's stories only her and her "crazy mind" could pen, my life is lived abundantly and fully because I know full well of the 7 billion + of us that share this planet, most of us take our minds and souls for granted.
My life has seen many horrors, but I have lived, been scarred, and been awakened. Trust me when I say, many "sane" people quickly take advantage of the mentally ill, and in my life, the small daughter that wandered with her. I hope to give some understanding (never try to understand it fully you will drive yourself mad), peace, and a sense of equanimity for those like me; and a glimpse of truth for those untouched by mental illness.
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