The state has passed more reforms, and Deeds continues to push for better crisis intervention care. Declining Stability (05:20) William started off well-behaved but gradually became more uncontrollable. The case report notes that Cruz was taking medication for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and had received an autism diagnosis. ETHAN: If only there was a lifeguard who could help me try to control myself because they save everyone, even when they drown. Even a prominent politician like Deeds had difficulty getting his son the help he needed, Garbus says. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says Erie County and its partner’s kicked-off Mental Health Awareness Month Tuesday. A Dangerous Son, which premieres Monday, focuses on three families who are dealing with the simultaneous challenges of handling children prone to lashing out … GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yeah, tell me. And then we see the boy’s face with his clear skin, big long-lashed eyes, and pink mouth in a pout. The event will be held at Salvatore's Italian Gardens, 6461 Transit Rd, Depew. Tell me why you made the film. A voice says, “Don’t ever bring your son here.”. Why Early Intervention Is So Important for Children’s Mental Health Issues, Lack of Mental Healthcare for Children Reaches ‘Crisis’ Level. Is Twirling Your Hair as a Habit a Symptom of an Underlying Condition? And unfortunately, she needed to have a paper trail to prove the problem was ongoing "when he got older and things got worse. Mood stabilizers like lamotrigine (Lamictal) can help. We see her horrified face. You know, of course, if you're an African-American family calling, the police officers won't always go the same way it would in Stacy's case. His aggressive behavior started between ages 2 and 3, she says. Sometimes children resist care. Cruz’s mother had died in November, three months before the massacre. “Parents need help before they become parents.”. SHAPIRO: What you saw in the car - it was a daily occurrence. And his child ended up shooting him and taking his own life. And we will see how this eventually puts MC is a dangerous situation. The same is true when people with mental illness have crises, Insel says. And I'll just say one more thing we say in the film - and it's important to foreground all of this with - is that, you know, children with mental health issues are much more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence. “I keep working on my behavior,” he’ll say a bit later. So, I mean, I think that, you know, one thing - isolation is terrible. He lashes out frequently over small things — a scene in the movie of him hitting and shouting in the car is "a daily occurrence for us, sometimes multiple times a day," Shapiro tells NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Weekend Edition. "It is an enormous weight on one person" in Shapiro's case and similar ones, Garbus tells NPR. Interspersed are comments from Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, and Andrew Solomon, author of “Far from the Tree,” which included interviews with Sue Klebold, the mother of one of the boys behind the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado in 1999. And so that's why we made the film. WBFO's Mental Health Initative wins NAMI award, New affordable housing with mental health services opens in Lockport, Mental Health Awareness Month events in Buffalo and NY. A Dangerous Son, which premieres Monday, focuses on three families who are dealing with the simultaneous challenges of handling children prone to lashing out while looking for treatment that is not always available. Lanza had received a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome (now considered part of the autism spectrum) and had cut off contact with his brother and father, who lived elsewhere. "I don't know how to control my anger," 10-year-old Ethan says in one clip. 9 Deceptively Simple Things I Can’t Do Because Anxiety, 7 Ways We Can Do Better by Suicide Attempt Survivors, People-Pleaser? The film focuses on parents as well as children. The guilt and isolation parents feel can be overwhelming, as is the constant worry that their child may harm himself or herself, or others. But soon we see the two of them hugging and Stacey saying “I love you.”. A Dangerous Son is a documentary that aired on HBO that focuses on three families in crisis, each struggling with a child’s severe mental illness while desperately seeking treatment to save their child’s life. James and Kimberly Snead, who took him in, said that Cruz cooperated with their household’s rules. Will the COVID-19 Outbreak Lead to More OCD Diagnoses. "I don't know how to control my anger," 10-year old Ethan says in one clip. The filmmakers talked with Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds, whose 24-year-old son stabbed and seriously wounded him before taking his own life in 2013. Parent support groups, teachers, and other child professionals are good sources of information, he said. We forget, too often, that some of us are on the other side of a suicide attempt and need support. I very much appreciated the opportunity to speak with you. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, to call the police to discipline my son,” one mother says in the documentary. And, you know, of course, the greater danger than them hurting anybody on the outside is them hurting themselves or those around them. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Sort of hitting and shouting and... SHAPIRO: Yes. Emphasizing the importance of encouraging dialogue and providing care to those in need, A DANGEROUS SON focuses on three children with mental health and behavioral disorders. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Well, you both have done that. Thank you so much. Now the mother is driving in the rain, the sister is crying, and the boy is shouting. Researchers at the Child Mind Institute say 50 percent of U.S. children will have a diagnosable mental illness, but less than 8 percent will get…. SHAPIRO: And I also want to add, find a network like Facebook groups or other people because that support - it's vital, especially when you feel like you're alone. Ethan, now 16, is one of the film's subjects. We spoke with two of the film's subjects. Sometimes, the habit develops in childhood and simply doesn't go away. A DANGEROUS SON highlights the cycle of counselor visits, medications, hospitalizations and encounters with law enforcement common to many children and families grappling with psychiatric disorders. SHAPIRO: Autism, ADHD and ODD and newly, IED, which is intermittent explosive disorder, and anxiety. It’s not uncommon for children with conduct disorder to also have ADHD. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And you struggled to get him help. And it debuts on HBO on Monday. That's not an option for many families, as there aren't enough beds in many areas. A Dangerous Son,which premieres Monday, focuses on three families who are dealing with the simultaneous challenges of handling children prone to lashing out while looking for treatment that is not always available. In the next moment, we hear “shut up,” and see a small boy hitting his sister in the back seat of a car in a parking lot. And so that's why we made the film. The documentary follows families through tussles, happy moments, and counselor visits. Alarmed parents need to realize their child isn’t doomed. It’s a slippery slope.". But I was too scared not to because I physically and mentally couldn't handle the aftermath of what would happen if I didn't. A younger child might lie for no reason, steal worthless items, and bully other kids. - NPR, "The Struggle of Finding Help for "A Dangerous Son," May 6, 2018 'A Dangerous Son,' which premiers Monday, focuses on three families who are dealing with the simultaneous challenges of handling children prone to lashing out while looking for treatment that is not always available. If you’ve ever judged a parent while seeing a child lashing out, this doc will open your eyes to situations that can’t be managed with just discipline. According to an analysis of mass shootings between 2009 and 2016 by the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, a “red flag” such as threats of violence or substance use showed up in only 42 percent of the cases. So I felt a huge injustice there, and it was no better when he came home. “Better mental healthcare and gun control are not an either/or. So I felt, like, OK, his time is up, and he has to go, more than, he's ready to go home, but that's the story you're feeding me. I saw a lot of my own behaviors as a kid exhibited in the movie, and it was kind of eye opening to see what living with 14 year old me must have been like. “A Dangerous Son,” directed and produced by filmmaker Liz Garbus, became available on demand today. And then, you know, on state levels, there need to be more beds available, and we need to have crisis prevention for these families. They may have anxiety or depression, which is typically treated with antidepressants. The beds aren't there. “A Dangerous Son” was inspired by the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says Erie County and its partner’s kicked-off Mental Health Awareness Month Tuesday. Often, people assume a child's behavior is a type of parental failure. “You hear a kid’s mother dies unexpectedly, where is everybody?” he said to Healthline. Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary Trump will be published next Tuesday, 14 July. NPR's Sarah Handel and Viet Le produced and edited the audio of this story. Bill, Amy, Edie and William (from left) are one of the families featured in the documentary, Originally published on May 6, 2018 12:55 pm. GARBUS: Yeah, and Stacy is sitting - I mean, you know, as soon as she starts talking, her eyes are welling up with tears. He might move on to “delinquent” behavior, such as vandalism, threatening others with weapons, and forcing sex. We wanted people to understand what it was like to be a parent of a son who could be violent,” Garbus told Healthline. That's Liz Garbus and Stacy Shapiro. With Tony Beliz, Creigh Deeds, Thomas Insel, Liza Long. She says his behavior was "no better when he came home.". 0 Reviews Fewer than 50 Ratings You might also like. And the one that he went to, which is featured in the film - it wasn't the greatest experience. Shapiro says that after the filming ended, Ethan's been doing better. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. If a person with diabetes goes into a coma, we know that their treatment didn’t work. "Especially when you feel like you're alone. SHAPIRO: Well, one thing I would say because I have met quite a few people - unfortunately, I don't know that they're in denial. We hear from Virginia Sen. Creigh Deeds, whose 24-year-old son Gus stabbed him before killing himself, as well as Liza Long, author of the essay “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother.”. His behavior improves. He's 16, and he struggles with - well, a lot. It should also be easy to get support. “Do you go to hell if you don’t behave?”. No, you don't need to worry about hurting their feelings. A new HBO documentary, “A Dangerous Son”, examines the struggles of families raising children with serious psychiatric disorders. GARBUS: Rehabilitation in this country is something that is very expensive, but the costs of not doing it are worse. I remember saying to them at one point, please tell me if my son needs to be somewhere else. Ethan, now 16, is one of the film's … The experience wasn't great, Shapiro says. Get the help, especially because there are so many kids now being diagnosed that the wait lists are so long because the earlier the intervention starts, the better. Director Liz Garbus was also in the studio. "Am I coming from a place of self-honor or self-betrayal?". ", There were times she had to call the police on her son. A Dangerous Son I just watched the HBO documentary Dangerous Son, and was curious if anyone had seen it, and if so what they thought. We also talk in the film about a state senator... GARCIA-NAVARRO: Creigh Deeds in Virginia. “Every parent should feel comfortable obtaining it,” Berkowitz said. I know it seems extreme. This is a state senator - couldn't get a bed for his child when his child was in crisis. Stacy Shapiro of Everett, Wash., came to our New York studios a couple of days ago... GARCIA-NAVARRO: ...To talk about her son Ethan. Sometimes multiple, directly towards my daughter or myself mostly, but anybody who might have, you know, gotten under his skin for whatever the reason. Only 15 to 25 percent of children with psychiatric disorders get care from a specialist, the Milbank report notes. And it was really difficult because people would constantly look at me and try to judge me or think they could do a better job or tell me all the reasons why he's probably like that. Ethan arrives home and reads new rules for the house. But six years later, his son was denied emergency psychiatric care in a crucial six-hour window and died, after stabbing Deeds. But the boy keeps hitting his sister. Impulse control issues can occur in children, teens, and adults, and may be connected to other health conditions. Although we tend to want a “magic bullet,” he says, success usually requires “a lot of different interventions.”. GARBUS: Bringing it out into the sunlight into the daylight and not keeping it hidden away people and feeling ashamed. A Dangerous Son. Then there’s medication. They may benefit from medication such as guanfacine (Intuniv). But just having them there had, A, helped de-escalate him and, sadly, did create the kind of paper trail I needed when he got older, and things got worse, when I had to take bigger action - that they could see that this was an ongoing problem, and it didn't just start. HBOLet Them All TalkSocial MGMT & Assets HULUNo Man's LandDigital AMAZONThe WildsPrint & Digital HBOThe Flight AttendantPrint, Digital, Social HBOThe Cost Of WinningPrint AMAZONMirzapur Season 2 Print & Digital NETFLIXThe CabinPrint HBOSiempre, LuisPrint PEACOCKCode 404Print PEACOCKDeparturePrint HBO 40 Years A Prisoner Print HBO The Third Day Print & Digital NETFLIXThe … Deeds' son stabbed him and then killed himself. After a breakup, he had been cutting his arms, spoke of wanting to buy a gun, and had put a swastika on his book bag. The documentary is "A Dangerous Son." A Dangerous Son focuses primarily on three families in crisis, each struggling with a child’s severe mental illness, desperately seeking treatment in the face of limited resources and support.Read More Ethan successfully took a risk to get the experimental sepsis treatment from Declan. Directed by Liz Garbus. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "A DANGEROUS SON"). Andrew Solomon is featured in Liz Garbus’s documentary A Dangerous Son, which follows three children with mental illness and their families’ struggles to secure help for them. I mean, and that's a reality for families of color. She loves her other children. Satisfy your true crime cravings and experience one of last year's best films. Ethen Shapiro handles cases in Medical Malpractice, General Practice, Defective and Dangerous Products, Litigation and practices out of Tampa, FL. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you think, Liz, needs to happen to help kids like the ones in your film? Keynote speaker Dr. Kafui Dzirasa will discuss his neuroscience research. At the New York premiere of A Dangerous Son — a documentary about children suffering from mental illness — director Liz Garbus invited the mothers of her subjects, William, Eric and Ethan, to the stage for a post-screening panel. People twirl their hair for lots of different reasons. ADHD and access to guns play roles in these tragedies. Here Are 5 Ways to Unlearn Your ‘Fawn’ Response, How to Cope with Impulse Control Issues in Kids and Adults, 7 Tips for ‘Breaking Up’ with Your Therapist. I mean, what - you know, it would be much better if there was a number to call in which, you know, there was a SWAT team of medical professionals who would come in rather than police officers. The signs include frequent tantrums, active defiance, setting out to annoy or upset others, blaming others for your mistakes, touchiness, being especially mean when angry, and taking revenge. The two-year project, funded by the Patrick P. Lee Foundation, provides in-depth coverage of mental health issues, including the stigma faced by people with mental illness. Why Are So Many Young Children Killing Themselves? (69) IMDb 6.5 1 h 25 min 2018. Ethan, now 16, is one of the film's subjects. Drugs of last resort include the antipsychotic medications aripiprazole (Abilify) or risperidone (Risperdal), which can cut aggression and irritability as well as help keep a child at home or in school. Shapiro prepares for Ethan to arrive and wants the family to have a fresh start. 2018. We see the mother biting her manicured fingernail. Even among those who get a conduct disorder diagnosis, most aren’t criminals or antisocial as adults, he noted. When their mom tries to stop him, he opens his door and is part way out of the car before she grabs the back of his shirt. “You won’t believe this, but I was just on the phone with a customer who was crying because he couldn’t assemble his bed frame.”. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Buffalo & Erie Co. gave WBFO its President's Award on Thursday night, in recognition of the station's Mental Health Initiative. GARBUS: You know, the involvement of law enforcement, you know, obviously, in Stacy's case was a positive. During the many months following these families with troubled sons, Garbus was most surprised by the love she saw in their mothers, she told Healthline. “A Dangerous Son” takes a look at what parents try to do, and perhaps what they should do, with children who have mental illness and become violent. It got to such a point where I knew I was doing the wrong thing at times, like, giving in. "I don't know how to control my anger," 10-year-old Ethan says in one clip. “I was blessed to have him in my life for 24 years,” he says. Ethan is the biological son of Elad Dvash-Banks, who is a citizen of Israel. Ethan, now 16, is one of the film's subjects. In “A Dangerous Son,” he speaks out against the stigma against mental illness and takes pride in his son. And it is a lonely, lonely place to be to be this kind of mom. Anywhere from 13 to 20 percent of children in the United States have received a mental health disorder diagnosis, according to a 2017 report sponsored by the nonpartisan Milbank Memorial Fund. But if you suspect something, please don't wait. ", Many people of color would hesitate to do the same. “What do you do when you have a son who is out of control? Most states have severe shortages of child psychiatrists. The documentary arrives as Americans reckon with the push for gun control following the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. In an ABC and Washington Post poll immediately after the shooting, 77 percent of those surveyed said better mental health screening and treatment could have prevented the tragedy, compared to 58 percent who said stricter gun laws could’ve done so. After a shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, Virginia Sen. Creigh Deeds worked for a wave of mental health reforms. You bring in people in authority to help.”. Shapiro says they were helpful; they helped to "de-escalate" Ethan. Suicides among children under the age of 13 are still rare, but the number is increasing. SHAPIRO: And I don't think they should have to feel ashamed. And one of the - he ended up going to a residential facility, but there aren't that many beds in most states. She's being put in a nearly impossible situation. Both boys were born via surrogacy in Canada in 2016. The families explore treatment opportunities and grapple with the struggle of living with their child's condition. "Families are basically left to fend for themselves" if there isn't space in a psychiatric hospital. He recommends the group program The Incredible Years and the “1-2-3 Magic” series of books and videos. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Stacy, what advice do you have for parents who might have children dealing with similar issues to Ethan? In “A Dangerous Son,” he speaks out against the stigma against mental illness and takes pride in his son. Treating mental health isn’t simple, Insel notes in the film. You listen to Stacy - she loves her son. If it's just that you can't keep him longer because I don't feel safe and I don't think that he is ready to come home.