Reality Orlando
Verified Aquaculturalist
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2008
- Messages
- 4,322
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Such a tragedy! I know folks who know this family and this child. How does it get to this? What can put a stop to it? My gut keeps telling me better mental health awareness, care and treatment, but I don't know. I just hurt so much for these families, and know in my heart, there but for the grace of God go I.
Once these kids turn 18 parents have virtually no way to involve themselves in helping them. No one will talk to you because of Hipaa laws. They are adults and as their parents you have no rights unless you can deem them a harm to themselves or those around them and get a court to grant you power of attorney but it's very, very hard to do. Even if you do get this power and can get them institutionalized, most of the places they end up are worse than the alternatives sometimes. Unless you can self pay for private help...often $200+ dollars a day, placing them in state run facilities can actually make things worse. They are herded into giant day rooms where unspeakable acts are performed in front of them with very little intervention. They receive about 10 minutes a day with a counselor and are given diagnosis with very little contact and then are placed on meds that turn them into drooling zombies. They're kept often for about 10 days to 2 weeks then turned loose. If they don't give permission for parents to be notified (because they hate you for baker acting them into these places to begin with) they are released to shelters that keep them for a week or so then release them on the streets. Sad but true. Been there, picked up the pieces weeks later.
Parents of "kids" like this live a heart broken life. They see the mental illness but often can do nothing to intervene. I, unfortunately, live this everyday. I've tried everything but the mentally ill most often don't know they're mentally ill and until they end up in a mental institution through Baker Acts or jail you just have to watch from the sidelines while your heart breaks over and over.