Reply #68: Just let me add some more...

[Raven]

like autism, this condition has gone without attention for generations. Autism was blamed on the "refrigerator mother" theory...Mom didn't bond with the kid. Because of that, years went by without real research being done. Now it's getting done. Schizophrenia is similar, not the same, but similar. It scares people. Those with the disorder, hear voices and talk to themselves. They do not bathe often and they often end up on the street. This happens like turning a light switch off. Believe me, I know. One day you have a smart, funny, handsome kid and the next day he's gone. It is just as fast as that. This disorder is much more prevelent in males in late adolesence than it is in girls, although it does occur in girls, usually a little later. My point is that this is usually a shock to the parents because, one day they have a perfectly normal child and the next day he's gone. This is a condition that needs to be recognized and researched!