RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Mental health awareness remains top of mind, as mental illnesses are becoming more common in America. The National Alliance of Mental Illness reports, 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
“It was taboo. I mean, nobody talked about it when I was a kid,” said Michael McIntyre, a Reno father, who is standing by his son’s side through his mental illness journey.
“I wish it were simple and we woke up and knew what our problems were,” added Kim Palchikoff, who earned her Master’s in social work, and is now a freelance mental health reporter. She hosts the ‘No Stigma Nevada Podcast’, which aims to raise awareness for mental health.
“Having that information can also contribute to being more compassionate. One of the biggest problems in mental health reporting is getting people to talk about their story openly and not with redacted sentences. A lot of parents and family members do not want to talk about their loved one.”
However, one of her recent guests, Michael McIntyre, is sharing his story about his 30-year-old son, who is living with Schizoaffective bipolar disorder. “He started having episodes of mania and delusions, so we got him help. He was stable for quite some time on medication, working with psychiatrists and professionals. He was doing well.”
But McIntrye says the side effects of the medication were burdening his son. “They make you feel kind of ‘grey’, as he put it. The one he was on in particular made him gain weight. He hated who he was.”
After a few months of being off the medication, the father says, the mania and delusions increased. “He came to me and told me that he was a retired Navy SEAL, he sold a company to Google, and that he had gotten married. Which was all delusions,” said the father.
One morning, the son attempted to leave the house, but McIntyre didn’t think it was a good idea and tried to stop him. “I was concerned for his safety and the welfare of others. I tried to stop him, and all those years of paying for Taekwondo turned around and bit me. He strangled me. He choked me.”
McIntyre says his son was arrested on charges of domestic abuse and is serving time in the Washoe County Jail. The father says his son is doing well, back on medication and is in a mental health support program. “I hope people can understand that even when you are at your lowest of lows, it gets better. There is hope.”
For parents or family looking for signs, Palchikoff says these are the most common. “A lot of individuals with mental illness are addicts, more than 51%. People can become irrational, and they also end up with depression.”
For resources in Washoe County, click here.
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