Schizophrenia Animation | Remembrances of My Lost Mother

Sheri Heller’s mother, Pearl, lived with #schizophrenia. As a result, her family lived in #turmoil. Sheri is a clinical social worker who is in private practice as a #psychotherapist, specializing in treating trauma and addictive disorders.
----------
✅ If you liked this #recovery video, please SUBSCRIBE to our channel
/ oc87recoverydiaries
----------
Sherri has spent much of her life living with the effects of her unhealthy relationship with both of her parents, sifting through wreckage of her #childhood, and using her creativity to help her channel the hurt and the pain.
Directed by Glenn Holsten with animation by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger.
----------
✅ For more #MENTALHEALTH recovery films, subscribe to our channel:
/ oc87recoverydiaries
📝 Learn more about this recovery story here:
oc87recoverydiaries.org/sheri...
----------
Connect with us:
📲 Website | oc87recoverydiaries.org/get-u...
🎥 KZbin | / oc87recoverydiaries
📸 Instagram | / oc87recoverydiaries
👤 Facebook | / oc87recoverydiaries
🐥 Twitter | / oc87rd

[@hellomiguel_]

Thank you for making this. I am the son of a schizophrenic mother. I also hated my mother growing up. We are estranged still today. I so need other children to connect with.

[@daniellev.4582]

This is a great reminder for me to stay on my medication regimen. I am grateful that my meds work well for me. I live with schizoaffective disorder and know that I am a good mother.

[@OC87RD]

Danielle, thank you so much for sharing your recovery with us - we love to see a comment like this.

[@randyhoffman226]

I lived with my grandma and grandpa growing up, and my grandpa had schizophrenia. I didn’t like him growing up, but when I look back on it now, I realize how much he was suffering. He’s been gone now for a long time, and I think where ever he is, I’m grateful he no longer has to live with the torment.

[@bockgirl]

I feel your pain. My mother had her first psychotic break when she was pregnant with me. I knew her. But she was like a ghost in my life. And I love her.

[@OC87RD]

Thank you for taking a moment to share that you relate, Michelle. It means a lot to receive comments like yours.

[@caroleewalker5546]

Without the children of the seriously mental ill there might not be any social workers, or mental health providers. My mother began to show serious six of depression, anxiety, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, hearing voices when I was ~ 10 yrs old. This was in the early 1950s in a very small, rural town. I soon became her case worker, her care provider med manager and therapist. I facilitated her psych hospital admits and coordinated her meds. I also was her target as the source of the pain and distress in her life. My dad was in the house, but was a shadow who took no part in protecting his children or caring for his wife. These roles continued until her death at 91 yrs of age. She lived with me for the last 15 yrs of her life. When I was 18 I found someone to marry me and moved out of state. Husband no 1 was a depressive who was unable to function or support me or our 2 children. Divorced him, married #2 who was a depressive, unable to work. Divorced I went to work, finished my BA in Psych (what else,) and a MS in clinical psych. Stayed single, raised my children, worked as suicide responder, HIV counselor, community mental health ( you had to be psychotic to be assigned to my caseload), and finished last 10 years at VA with brain injury, memory clinic and PTSD veterans. It all started in my childhood when I went on a quest to find out “what is the matter with my mother. “ as you, the children of the mentally I’ll know, there was no help for us. Family, educators, medical, mental health, psychiatric, hospital, safety net, social services, community. No one to help, and only ourselves to survive as best we could. I’m retired now. Grateful for all the things I was able to learn, and as the sears went by, systems, meds, and services improved, somewhat. This post has made me wonder how many of us (children with no support) are out there. For every ‘one’ sick parent, there are the spouse, parents, siblings, employers, and uncounted numbers of children living through the neglect, poverty, abuse, trauma, and danger that is the result of our current lack of understanding, stigma, and lack of resources or response to a natural, common, frequent human problem. Mental illness 😢

[@janholman6192]

I certainly agree with you. My sisters and I suffered through our mother's mental illnesses (paranoia schizophrenia, manic depression and multiple personality disorder. She kept us from going to school (like 2 months), and the schools never did anything. Beat, punished daily over little to nothing. My stepfather would never do anything to stop her. My sisters agree, we would never want to relive our childhood even if you paid us...

[@IHearYou-SandraLau]

Hi there! Your message moved me and I can completely identify with what you went through. My mother has schizophrenia. Her symptoms began when I was nine. As you mention there is no support for the children of schizophrenics. All of the resources are channeled towards the patients which is great but the family members and in particular the children are left to deal with everything with no guidance. My brother and I had to grow up very quickly and take on responsibilities that shouldn't be thrust on any child. On top of that we had to try and make sense of life with this harsh mental illness. I created a KZbin channel in which I interview other children of schizophrenics. It would be lovely if you could check it out. You wrote in your comment, I wonder how many of us are out there. We are slowly finding each other and I know that my channel can be a balm for the soul for all of us. Take care. Blessings.

[@boyandcatmum]

I was adopted out as a baby as my birth mother has paranoid schizophrenia. I don't have schizophrenia but I struggle with trauma and I try really hard to be a good mother thankyou for sharing yoir story with us. I had a nervous breakdown and after that I had a lot of compassion for my birth mum.

[@Andy-wx4wx]

My mom also had Schizophrenia in the 70s and 80s and it was a difficult time for all. We visited her in an institution in Birmingham (UK), and looking back now, they had drugged her up to the max so she was a different person. Unless someone has experienced Schizophrenia close up, you can never understand the strange behaviours, stigma, violence and how it affects a family as a whole...

[@IHearYou-SandraLau]

What a beautiful and heartbreaking video. I can relate. My mother has schizophrenia. I loved the animation. Thank you for sharing.

[@nermeenabdelmoez6347]

I am so proud of you. I went through the same experience, so I understand you very well. Your voice tone and animation really described it well. Thank you

[@OC87RD]

So appreciate knowing that this resonated with you, Nermeen 💙

[@IHearYou-SandraLau]

I am sorry you went through the same experience. My mother has schizophrenia. I created a channel in which I interview other children of schizophrenics. If you can please check out the videos. They have helped me heal a great deal. Blessings.

[@Celladebella]

Thank you for sharing this. I am a child of a mom who's suffering from Schizoeffective since I was little. I am currently about to start my MSW.

[@madelineeller8822]

So important. Thanks Sheri.

[@OC87RD]

Appreciate you watching and commenting on Sheri's story, thanks Madeline!

[@stumpymcfee5695]

Thank you.

[@OC87RD]

Thank you for watching and letting us know that you connected with Sheri's story.

[@ombembde3826]

My mother has schizophrenia im only 18 rn but i can imagine how u felt during that period of time i think i am lucky that my mother is now stable and she is doing well but when i was growing up she was very unstable they had to use ECT. i saw alot of disturbing things like people chained up to their beds when i was 12 or 13 i really wanted to end my life but i didn't have the courage i actually took my mother's medicine in hope's that it'll end it but it didn't. i really hope no one has to go through this ever in their life this illness is really debilitating to the families and specially the children.

[@joanbennett7224]

Thank you for this! My childhood trauma propelled me to search for the female FACE of God and allowed me to be my mother's mother on her death bed. In the end I saw that she never could have handled my expansive capacity, and her journey of inadequacy propelled me to the Divine. In my counselling work I often see this pattern. The trauma becomes eventually a gift, but folks need company on this journey and tender understanding, sometimes for a very long time for that mothering wound to heal. I think it took me about fifty years to finally "get it".

[@OC87RD]

Hope that you are doing well. And thank you for watching.

[@jacqln405]

My mother has had schizophrenia for years since 30 im 37 i was 5 when she first got it. Really sad but you learn and it becomes ok

[@michellelouisemonet]

The image of picking up those pieces. I always remember years ago I said that I would not leave any part of me behind and just like looking in the dirt for my soul. Life with a schizophrenic mother or father is terrifying. I am lucky my mum did recover but I think I took her memories and energies to save her and now I’m left with underlying symptoms not fully but I recognise them. And becoming very unwell is a normality for me. And yer my kids had to see me from very young unwell. But I took care of them. They didn’t have to live on the streets like I did, to get away from my parents. So rather than running away now I need to meet that part of me that could of gone one to be schizophrenic and release that trauma and it is in my dna and it’s inherited but mine wasn’t fully recognised as I am too intelligently aware of myself. So it’s a bit of living between worlds. So I must integrate that so my family doesn’t have to inherit this and hopefully delete that from our genetic coding. Recoding I guess.

[@fauzianalwoga1002]

I miss you mom so much it hurts

[@rosen6053]

❤

[@OC87RD]

💙

[@BharathyPremnathluv]

Our psychology tr had shown this in the class

[@enriquepelenato4956]

❤❤😢

[@ClipzTv720]

If she didnt fight her way outta the house if would jave been a way different story. Ahe was one of the stron ones ❤