But, Did They Learn Anything

I was asked to speak at the local high school to a Psychology Class.  The teacher is someone I know.  She was my junior high teacher.  We go to the same book club and church.  She asked if I would consider speaking about schizophrenia and what it is like for my son.  I immediately said I would.  So far, one of the only positive things that I can find from my son's illness is that I can try to put a face on mental illness for people.  It was a small class.  My talk was informal.  I printed off pictures of my son and talked about what his childhood was like and how there was a time he was a normal kid.  Smart, athletic, popular, handsome, and funny.  I was given the entire class to speak.  I certainly did not think it would go that long.  The class is 90 minutes.  But, it took up most of the time.  After I talked, students asked some questions.  So, do I think I reached anyone, hard to say.  If one person takes away more compassion for someone with a mental illness, that will be a victory.  If one of those students becomes a lawyer, a counselor, a politician; maybe one day they will face an issue with someone who is mentally ill and remember something from my talk.  I am going to believe there will be several positive changes because I spoke. 
One of the difficult parts of talking about my son is it is story.  There are times I feel like I should not be talking about him behind his back.  Unfortunately, he would not tell the story.  I really believe people have been too secretive about mental illness.  There is a stigma, and shame about it.  Like the person is somehow to blame.  None of that is true.  If we do not talk about the illness, people will never learn.  So, I will tell his story.  I will tell our story.  Because we all live with it.  We all live with what our family should have been, could have been.
Last week I was doing some reading.  I read that researchers now believe schizophrenia could happen invetro.  The mother gets a virus early in the pregnancy.  It lays dormant.  With some people it never appears.  Several factors can cause it to happen.  They also link autism and schizophrenia now.  Interesting stuff.  Waiting for that cure.....