Acceptance of mental illness can only be helpful

To date, there is no cure for mental illness and despite all efforts, symptoms may either get worse or improve. I think that it is as hard for the individual to accept the disorder as it is for his/her other family members. Acceptance of the disorder can only be helpful.

We learned that a delusion will not disappear by simply reasoning with our son. I found that I had to separate him from his disorder. I loved him but did not like his schizophrenia. I still find it hard to believe that my son had developed an illness that I knew so little about. As a  mother I knew how to recognize measles and mumps, chicken pox and the multitude of other things that befall children, but mental illness is one of the invisible illnesses, so that few people knew how he was suffering and how difficult it was for the rest of us to handle the situation. It took a while before we recognized that the side effects of his medication caused certain behavior.

It was not alright for us neglect ourselves and our other children while trying desperately to help our son. We all have wants and needs. This illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Our son became ill and the discrimination and stigma were out of place. We were not to blame. No one is to blame. My husband managed to keep his sense of humor and always tried to see the half full glass. We all needed to renegotiate our emotional relationships, and to revise our expectations.

We need a wonder drug right now; the one that I spent years searching for. Governments need to realize the importance of research in this field as there are so many people with mental illness everywhere.