PHOTO GALLERY: DELANY DEAN PHOTOGRAPHY

The images in the slideshow (just above) are a selection from my online gallery, Delany Dean Photography. If you'd like to see the images in full-screen mode, just roll your mouse over the slide show image, and click on the box on the lower-right corner.

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Sunday, August 24, 2008

Mother in the Psych Hospital

Had to put my mother in a psychiatric hospital on Friday. She became violent, hitting and kicking me and one of the caregivers who had just stopped by her house. She had stopped taking her medications. Now, since it is a 96-hour involuntary commitment, she will have a right to a hearing, on Monday or Tuesday. It will of course be incredibly distressing, both for my mother and for me. She only lasted in her home, with full-time in-home caregivers, and taking her medication, for about a week. I don't know if she will ever be willing/able to live at home again, unless we just let her live the way she has always lived, before... doing exactly what she wants to do, with no interference from anyone. And if we were to do that, it would soon be a case of elder neglect, because she just can't (or won't) take care of herself. My mother now hates me (she looked me in the eye and said to me: "I will hate you forever," and then she hit me in the face, again), because (in her eyes) I am taking away that which is most valuable to her (her capacity to control her own life).

6 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry. You obviously didn't have any choice. Hope you are getting enough support for you.
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  2. In an earlier post you wrote about hope. I thought you might be interested in this blog which has a post today on hope

    The Space Between Despair and Hope http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/
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  3. Dear Delany, I am so sorry. All love.
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  4. My heart is aching for you. I hope you know that your mother doesn't really hate you. It's the disease, this heart breaking thief of a disease. It steals our loved ones. Reach out to others, take time for you. God bless you.
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  5. Delany,
    I found your blog through Google, thinking I might ask you a question about something. Then I saw this post. I'm so sorry. If I'm counting right, court must have happened today. I hope the result was a good one.
    Grant
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  6. Thanks, Grant (and Judy, Jean, E., and Marcia). Things are not going well; she is still in the hospital and seems to be doing worse, physically. Also, somewhat sedated. Hard to tell what is actually going on. Grant, do please contact me by email with your question: crimlawdoc AT gmail DOT com .

    Delany
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