Neighborhood young man acts real goofy. People call him crazy, say he has mental problems. Most people avoid talking too him. Probably about 20yo. Most would take him as probably homeless and drug addict.
Yesterday, someone called police. They had a long talk with him. Woman asked me if they arrested him. I told her that they did not. She explained that she is his mother.
She explained that he has 'mental problems', she seemed to have wanted the police to arrest him, and she refused to tell me if he is on drugs or alcohol. Sounds like he lives with her.
She talks about getting him to court, meaning that when he has been arrested, she has used the court appearances to get involved in his affairs. Sounds like she wants him in jail. Talks about that as the only remedy.
Now, my standing doctrine on these types of cases is, punish the parent, severely and publicly. These cases are the results of child abuse, and the most important thing is to let the child see that the parent is wrong and that our society punishes them.
But this case is different from most of those I have seen. With most the parents are filled with Born Again and Middle-Class righteousness, and it is clear that they have used the child. Most of the time it is to make their marriage work.
But this woman works in a fast food restaurant, and to me she comes across as a single mother who has nothing.
So would taking what little she might have help?
And of the son, of course I oppose therapy and Recovery Programs. Is this son someone who would be good to fight in a political movement? Hardly.
So what to do, where to look?
Well, if I encounter her again I will politely ask more. She knows I don't agree with the concept of mental illness. But she is committed to this. It makes her right and her son wrong.
So I will ask about the history, what age did his 'affliction' start, and how many doctors have seen him, and since when.
Of course I am looking to establish this as child abuse. But also, the guys who should be punished are the doctors who did not report to the family court. A high level of conflict with a parent is child abuse. No matter if it is a single parent, married parents, or if they are rich or poor. The idea of mental illness was given to her by these doctors, and as they did not report, they are accomplice child abusers. So they are where the hammer should fall.
And of course the son has to see that the reason for this is that his mother is wrong.
And, it is not just the mother who is wrong. It is our entire society. We do not protect children from familial child abuse. We use things like psychiatry, psychiatric medications, psychotherapy, and the recovery movement to cover up for child abuse, and for the fact that many go thru adolescence in entirely unworkable situations, and then enter adult hood with zero chance at adult life. And this will never change until people are able to see this.
SJG
Awe did your mommy set up a play date so you could have a new friend?