Lack of Insight... :(

Today I sat in on a family meeting for a Latina woman who is severely mentally ill. I felt so badly for the adult daughter and son who showed up for the meeting. One of them had traveled about 400 miles for the meeting. I thought how sad it is that this family (there are other siblings) was robbed of a grandmother by mental illness. I realized that I take so much for granted and that I tend to make my problems seem more severe than they often are. Can you imagine looking forward to enjoying your parents' golden years by taking the kids over for Christmas, having family get-togethers, or just spending quality time with them, only to have those dreams dashed by a mentally ill mother who manipulates each member of the family, says things like, "I had better go live with my one daughter (who was devastated when her child died from a tragic illness) so her other children won't die!" and treats her children very rudely on a daily basis? It is so sad to see a person reduced to a being who lacks insight about her physical and mental health. Who has lost the capacity to be aware and concerned about her life--and when told that if she doesn't take care of her staph infection she could die or have her leg amputated comments in Spanish the equivalent of "Oh well." What a stressful situation for both the mentally ill woman, and her poor family. I guess that is why there is a huge need for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). I hope this family is able to attend some of their meetings.

Link:

www.nami.org

I feel gratitude that my grandparents and parents have their mental health intact so we can enjoy them in their golden years. :)