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Colleen Scott: One Mother's Journey Through Schizophrenia
Manage episode 483570597 series 3477439
A mother shares her 18-year journey supporting a son with schizophrenia through mental health system failures, incarceration, and experimental brain surgery.
• Colleen Scott's son started showing signs of schizophrenia at age 17, withdrawing socially and exhibiting erratic behavior
• A prosecutor advised having her son arrested "to get him in the system" for mental health help, resulting in traumatic incarceration
• Laws preventing family commitment, alongside HIPAA restrictions at age 18, create nearly insurmountable barriers for families seeking help
• After years of struggle, Colleen secured disability benefits and eventually enrolled her son in an experimental Deep Brain Stimulation trial at Johns Hopkins
• The mental health system's integration with the legal system often criminalizes mental illness rather than treating it
• Current group home living with court-ordered treatment provides some stability, though interactions with police remain common
• Colleen advocates for better training for law enforcement and restoration of family commitment options with proper safeguards
• Organizations like the National Schizophrenia and Related Conditions Society (NSSC) offer hope through focused advocacy and lobbying efforts
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intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
Chapters
1. Introduction to Colleen's Story (00:00:00)
2. Early Signs of Schizophrenia (00:02:41)
3. Legal System's Failure (00:05:43)
4. Navigating Social Services (00:11:16)
5. Deep Brain Stimulator Trial (00:16:13)
6. Current Challenges and Future Fears (00:21:51)
7. The Need for System Reform (00:27:03)
8. Closing Thoughts (00:28:43)
148 episodes
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