Posted by Anonymous on October 30, 2001 at 00:20:04:
In Reply to: schizophrenia and methanphetamine posted by Julene Kerr on June 03, 2001 at 22:27:30:
> I have recently been contacted by a social worker regarding my brother, who I have not seen in many years. To my surprise I find out that he has a son and that Child Protective Services are looking for a family member to care for him rather than adopt him out. It seems that they are unsure about his mental state and cannot determine if he is schizophrenic or has a serious chemical abuse problem or both. I met with my brother fot he first time last week and was quite upset by what I saw. He was slow and somewhat incoherent in his speech, delusional (talking about the CIA and people trying to sell his son, etc.). He had a slight tick and his hands are crippling from some sort of nuerological muscle deterioration. He did seem to be talk,at times, like he was in the real world but would then go off onto a strange thought or conversation. He was vey thin compared to what I always remembered him being, which was very heavy. The social worker tells me he is going to an outpatient treatment center and seeing a psychiatrist who has prescribed medication that he will not take regularly. I do not know how to help him or whether this psychosis is drug induced or real. It is clear that he loves his son but I don't know how to help him do the right thing. We both have no family as we were adopted at a few days old and both of our adopted parents died when we were young. His son's mother, his wife, died of a brain aneurism when she was pregnant and her body was keot alive until the baby could be born.
> Does anyone have any suggestions or insight as to how I might help or what type of advocacy I can offer him? > We live in Phoenix , AZ. > Thank you
> Julene Kerr
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