I am the author of Psych Meds Drove My Son Crazy. Since my essay was published two days ago, I've received dozens of letters from parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, and friends, desperate for information about Autistic Catatonia and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome.

As a writer -- and a mother -- I can speak only to my family's experience. I was hesitant to include specifics about our son's treatment in the account that was published on Salon because I didn't want to present myself as a medical expert. I still don't. I do, however, want to share the resources we've found.

Therefore, I am adding a page to my personal website:

http://www.annbauer.com/autisticcatatonia.html

Once it is up and the content has been flowed in, this page will provide information about the specific treatments my son underwent, the experts we consulted, and links to research on Autistic Catatonia. I am working to get this done by mid-day on Monday, May 21.

All my best,

Ann Bauer

David, you asked about how you are dealing with this young woman who may be depressed. It's not part of any official description that I know of, but it is true in my experience (having been both the depressed individual and the caretaker of many depressed individuals) that depressed thinking can be so persistent as to take on a nearly delusional quality. People who are severely depressed are often completely and unshakably convinced that they are worthless and that there is nothing that will help them. It can be extremely frustrating to deal with. In other words, your reaction to this young woman is both normal and entirely understandable. Of course, distinguishing between depressed thinking and stubborn teenage angst can be a bit of a challenge, but fortunately you don't have to make that judgment call.

I agree with AKA Smith that setting boundaries is a good idea. One thing you can do is explain to her that, while you and your sons wish to support her, you can't keep doing so unless she takes some steps to help herself, such as seeing a doctor or counselor. Another thing you could do is contact a responsible party, such as her parents if you trust them or her school counselor. Her problems shouldn't be on your and your family's shoulders.

depression has a "cardboard" quality - unreachable. a "lack of affect". and of COURSE i tried to get her to get help. i didn't go into all of it - she lives in kansas, far from us, and i don't know even how she got our number. i asked her to ask her friends (she still has some, i told her she's lucky, but even the best of friends have limited patience with what seems a hopeless task). to take her to the hospital for evaluation. swhe's afraid of hospitals. i asked her what her parents think. she's afraid of talking to her parents(it's hard to find out what they even *know*). i don't know if it's *fear* or really not wanting(hoping) to even try. there's little i can do to convince her and i grew tired of trying. there's a point - one i have reached - where you rather see yourself as a callous bastard than subject yourself to another sniveling whining depressed hour of unhappiness. you start to think of darfur - and wish she was there. sorry. as i said, i'm not up for canonization. as for people like you, who *do* care for them, i think of you like i think of tightrope walkers - i didn't know humans could do that. true, you can think (to yourself), another hour, another dollar. but i don't think that's enough. you'd burn out no matter how disinterested you can make yourself. i once heard (i don't know if it's true) that there's a "position" in some primitive societies called the "sin eater", they absorb the sins of others - then get screamed at and driven out of town. mental health workers seem to me to have a job like that. you have to absorb all the others depression and anxiety and refusal to help themselves - and at all times offering support. i don't know how you can do it. it doesn't put any bread on your table or give you the status you need, but for what it's worth, you have my unbelieving admiration. how you can do it and not become alcoholic is truly miraculous.

Dear Ann

Thank you for responding to the 'clarification' that some of us requested. I'm referring of course to the identification of the diagnosis and application of prescription drugs that eventually saved your son.

I had thought that we bloggers were spending way too much time debating each other, sending up meaningless hot air balloons which could never really affect anyone or anything.

I am inspired to learn that we little people on line can sometimes actually ‘change the world.’

Wow... the mother of this boy really paints a vivid portrait of mental illness from a viewpoint which truly breaks ones heart. I loved the metaphor of Geodon as Abilify's masonic, hulking chemical cousin... pretty much what I always pictured when I heard its name. I, too, was once prescribed many of the "atypics"... Zyprexa made me feel as if I were tripping on acid. Luckily, I decided quickly I didn't want to go through life as the missing member of Pink Floyd...I discontinued it after a week. It breaks my heart that adolescents are prescribed these drugs so casually... it's criminal, really.

As an experienced psychiatric nurse, I find very touching the faith that so many Americans have in psychiatric diagnoses.

The fact is that most treatment is empirical and that, in a very real sense, the patient diagnoses him/herself by saying what they think is wrong. The psychiatrist just sticks on a label that will justify insurance reimbursals and fit the medication prescribed.

Thus the much-used "schizo-affective disorder" is simply a convenient tag that allows the psychiatrist to prescribe antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antianxiolytics, and antipsychotics--and no questions asked!

This diagnosis tells you nothing about what you have, and is in fact frequently used as a convenient euphemism for a disordered personality.

To the Ph. D. candidate who could not get his antidepressant prescription renewed in London, I sympathize a bit, but he should understand that socialized medicine is not in the business of wanton prescribing. Through the health service of his academic institution, or through the US embassy, he should easily have been able to contact a private psychiatrist in London to follow up his mental condition. This should probably have been arranged, along with a transfer of medical records, before he left the US.