As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but in the case of a San Antonio, TX woman whose son is mentally ill, that picture was actually a video and the words in it turned out to be priceless.
Stephanie Escamilla shared the story of her son’s struggle with mental illness on CNN.com’s Digital series and the response was overwhelming. Parents of children with mental illness and adults who have dealt with the side effects of mental illness came out of the woodwork on social media sites, some even from across the globe, to show Stephanie and her family support.
In the video, Stephanie told a story that many who know firsthand about mental illness related to. Her
son, a teenager, whose bipolar illness causes him to struggle in school and in social settings, attempted suicide and has been hospitalized several times due to his illness. His mental illness causes him to experience hallucinations, depression and anxiety.
Watching her son struggle with feelings of low self esteem and guilt, as well as demonstrating self harm caused Stephanie to have feelings she was afraid to share with anyone.
“For a while, I thought I hated my son, I thought I resented him because of everything I had gone through,” admits Stephanie in the video.
It is common for parents of children with mental illness to have feelings of resentment or being overwhelmed. For some, they are weary or too embarrassed to talk about it, even though many others in similar situations have the same feelings and they are very common, natural reactions.
After sharing her most private thoughts about her son’s mental illness and being inspired and comforted by the many messages of the video’s thousands of viewers, Stephanie decided she wanted to help make a difference and help educate the nation about mental illness. Sharing her story has also helped her son, who, after reading the messages, told his mother that he feels as though he can finally accept himself as he is, saying “I am not my mental illness; I am me.”
To make a difference for others, Stephanie and her family started a story on a website for people to share their own stories and find outreach. Mental illness in children: Where to turn.
If someone you care about is struggling with mental illness, finding support is very important. To find assistance, treatment options and resources, contact the St. Joseph Family Guidance Center today.
