I recently saw the documentary, Boy Interrupted for the first time. For those of you who haven't seen it, it is about a 15 year old boy who takes his own life. The boy, Evan, was diagnosed with manic depression, or bipolar disorder. Frankly, I was surprised because the whole time I'm watching it, it seemed to me he had OCD, but there was no mention of it.
Basically, he began obsessing over death at a very early age and his brother said that he would be obsessed over getting things right and would want to constantly "start over". Well, that just struck a nerve with me because, when I was a kid, I was obsessed with starting over. I don't think I ever got through a game because I kept needing to start over, start over, start over.
Evan's parents seemed to do everything right. They were clearly concerned and tried to get him the help he needed. Unfortunately, it didn't have the happy ending I wish it had, on many levels.
Evan's uncle, on his father's side, had also committed suicide. They then had his grandmother, or his uncle's mother, on talking about her experiences of losing her son and grandson to suicide. Evan's father said that his son very much reminded him of his brother. I found it to be very interesting to see all the different sides of what depression and suicide can do to a family.
Having lost my brother to suicide, I have had some experience, though I cannot imagine what it would be to lose a child that way. I think Evan's brother said it best because he said, and I'm summarizing, but he said that every 15 year old has similar issues at that age. Though Evan felt things more strongly being bipolar, the indication was that if he'd given it time, problems that seemed like the end of the world, would have lessened the older he'd gotten.
I don't know if that's true for someone with manic depression; but in general, I think this is very true and that it just continues all your life. When you're a teen, it's about what your peers think, it's school, it's parents. In mid-life, it's money, jobs, material things and all of the things we struggle over, but none of it matters when we're old and grey.
Evan will never know that now. It's beyond sad. My heart truly goes out to that family.
Basically, he began obsessing over death at a very early age and his brother said that he would be obsessed over getting things right and would want to constantly "start over". Well, that just struck a nerve with me because, when I was a kid, I was obsessed with starting over. I don't think I ever got through a game because I kept needing to start over, start over, start over.
Evan's parents seemed to do everything right. They were clearly concerned and tried to get him the help he needed. Unfortunately, it didn't have the happy ending I wish it had, on many levels.
Evan's uncle, on his father's side, had also committed suicide. They then had his grandmother, or his uncle's mother, on talking about her experiences of losing her son and grandson to suicide. Evan's father said that his son very much reminded him of his brother. I found it to be very interesting to see all the different sides of what depression and suicide can do to a family.
Having lost my brother to suicide, I have had some experience, though I cannot imagine what it would be to lose a child that way. I think Evan's brother said it best because he said, and I'm summarizing, but he said that every 15 year old has similar issues at that age. Though Evan felt things more strongly being bipolar, the indication was that if he'd given it time, problems that seemed like the end of the world, would have lessened the older he'd gotten.
I don't know if that's true for someone with manic depression; but in general, I think this is very true and that it just continues all your life. When you're a teen, it's about what your peers think, it's school, it's parents. In mid-life, it's money, jobs, material things and all of the things we struggle over, but none of it matters when we're old and grey.
Evan will never know that now. It's beyond sad. My heart truly goes out to that family.
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