Two mothers perspective of their children's madness

This panel will present the similar and yet distinct experiences of two mothers with their child's madness. They will share their struggles with the mental healthcare system in the US, and the heart-wrenching experiences their... [ view full abstract ]

This panel will present the similar and yet distinct experiences of two mothers with their child's madness. They will share their struggles with the mental healthcare system in the US, and the heart-wrenching experiences their children had to endure.

Judy’s son, Dan's personal identity was replaced by diagnostic identities when he entered the educational system. Our society denies the self and the experience so we do not accept diversity as being “normal” doing great harm to many creative individuals. Dan insisted he was not ill, just different, therefore told he lacked insight into his illness.

Hours after discharge from the hospital, Dan shared his suicide plan with his mother. Victimized by a fallen system, Judy had the terrifying realization that it was solely up to her to save her son.

He followed through with his plan two weeks later trying to be heard in the only way he knew how. That was the end of Dan's journey and the beginning of a new chapter in hers.

Elahe’s daughter, Helia, was a healthy, well-educated, stunningly beautiful girl at the prime of her life. Helia’s journey into madness started with severe mental distress, and continued to manifest in increasingly strange symptoms. Regardless of a variety of psychiatric and psychological treatments, Helia’s condition escalated until she finally became catatonic. After a few years, and so many trials and errors, the family finally took her out of the psychiatric system.

Elahe personally cared for Helia every day for years in the most horrifying conditions, until she finally came out of her catatonic state. Helia is not back to her normal self yet, but she is physically healthy and participates in the family life without any medication.

The panel, through their experience, hopes to alleviate the misconceptions of those in psychosis.