I actually feel for them, because having a psychotic child is probably one of the most awful things ever for a parent, especially now when it's virtually impossible to commit older children or get residential treatment for them.
Sometimes it's very hard for parents to admit this. They were probably a little lax (they sound very liberal) and kept telling themselves that it was "just a phase," and probably even congratulated themselves on the fact that he was still at home and hadn't taken off to camp in an abandoned building with a bunch of other self-medicating druggie psychotics. They were probably also a little scared, but at the same time, if the mother was a county employee, they probably wanted to deflect any attention from this child and I'm sure they probably appealed to that awful sheriff not to do anything about him.
But denial is what it's all about in their case.
“They were probably a little lax (they sound very liberal) and kept telling themselves that it was “just a phase”
My former boss, who is now retired, has a 16 year old girl who sends sexual text messages to girls, accused other kids of beating her up, stole his car (she is classified learning disabled and not 16 yet). He has made excuses for her that she is not really on parole, and did not really steal his car. He reads National Review online and has Palin stickers all over his car.
I am also surprised at parents who view themselves as very conservative that are in favor of the boy girl sleepovers. I am not as conservative as many on this forum, but my daughter, when faced with a boy girl sleepover quandry (she went to a girls house after HC and learned there was to be a boy girl sleep over) decided to leave on her own, and told us why.
I feel for them also. Very sad for all.
You nailed it. I mentioned on another thread earlier that denial is a big problem in mental health care. Since teens are often troubled just by the nature of being a teenager parents hope the problems will go away. They often delay getting their child help for years. What may be a small problem for a 14 year old is a big problem for a 20 year old (of course, years of drug or alcohol abuse also magnify the problems).
Once the child turns 18 it is much harder to compel using medication or getting therapy. I hope people will learn to not delay getting help for their kids, especially ones that have had a emotional trauma. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to psychological issues and kids often suffer as a result.
Liberalism = Mental Disorder.....
I am kind of wondering why the press didn't go after the family of the nut who killed 33 at the University of Virgina.
That family broke my heart. I don't have any reason to think that this family is just as devastated to have missed this.