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Oprah's magazine
| Tue, 10-13-2009 - 3:36pm |
Will any of you buy Oprah's mag. this month? There is suppose to be an article from the mother of one of the Columbine killers in there. I have to admit I am interested. My son is the same age as those kids. He was diagnosed as bi-polar shortly before this happened. I know for months this really bothered me. I finally had to quit watching the news. I may buy it.

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I saw a newsclip on TV about this last night. I can't imagine the horror and heartbreak that this poor woman has suffered for the last ten years. Not only did she lose her child, but she lives with the guilt and pain of his horrible legacy.
On the newsclip it says that she was unaware of the war waging in her son's mind. Like any parent, she never dreamed her child was capable of such destruction. She wants to break her silence to make other parents aware of warning signs and she hopes maybe she can bring help to another child before that child goes over the edge.
We are a society that doesn't treat mental illness with the respect it deserves UNTIL it becomes out of control.
I read a pretty in depth article about the article. I might get the magazine. My partner is bi-polar. When he was finally hospitalized and diagnosed, his mom told me she "wasn't really suprised," he'd apparently
Well. I walked up and got the magazine. I don't know. The article seemed ......"guarded"(?). I'm sure there are things that she can't talk about because of law suits. It just wasn't all that. It sure wasn't worth almost $5.00.
I guess I have sympathy for her. The trench coat is what just about sent me over the edge when this first happened. My son would wear my oldest son's till I had a fit and told oldest son to take it home. Pre Columbine. There was just something about my son wearing that, I don't know how else to say it. It was just evil. It scared me. If my older son had it on, no problem.
There are things I can relate to. She talked about not having any weapons in the house. I never allowed any type of weapon in here. Once my son brought a big sword in here. I just about passed out. If I found anything, I would deposit it in the dumpster. My son kept pushing the envelope. I just don't get how they couldn't have know something.
There's several articles about the "O" article. Here are a couple.......
Mother of Columbine survivor applauds 'O' essay
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091014/columbine_091014/20091014?hub=
Mother of Columbine killer tells of horror 10 years after massacre
• Susan Klebold says she is haunted by school killings
• 'I cannot look at a child without thinking about it'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/11/columbine-massacre-susan-klebold
None of us could ever
"Maybe, if youth violence continues like it has been, it might be a good idea for schools to get involved in the
My son didn't torture animals. It wasn't just him wearing a certain article of clothing. I wish others could be taught the warning signs of mental illness. Unfortunately, it's on the job training. But, I knew my son was having problems when he was about 15 yrs. old. There was no uh-ha moment. But a big part of it was his anger, (his Dad and I had just split-up) how he was pushing everyone away. Coming home from school and staying in his room for hours. Sleeping all the time. Yes, a lot of this is typical teen age stuff. There were also drugs involved. So which was the drug? Which is just being a teen? Which is a problem? As a mother I just knew something wasn't right. Can't pinpoint a single thing. He was starting to get in trouble at school and very minor incidents with the police. That's when I finally called for help.
***I wish others could be taught the warning signs of mental illness. Unfortunately, it's on the job training.***
This is so true. Plus, since most people with mental illnesses self medicate, at some point, then the drug question becomes-chicken or egg? Are the drugs triggering the mental illness or is the MI triggering the drug use?
Culturally we need to be more educated about the warning signs of MI, so we can do early intervention. Just like for diabetes and thyroid disease. I think that's why articles like this are important. Things that get sloughed off as "normal teenage stuff" in hindsight, often, are the signs and symptoms of other things. The only way to be able to sort it out, is to have people be educated and remove the stigma surrounding it.
Been there, done that, so I know your pain (and your son's pain).
My ex not only divorced me, he divorced his only child. My son was 13 when his dad left. By 18 he was an angry young man.
Oh, I so understand. The one thing I never did was show my son I was afraid of him. He is a a lot bigger than me, but I'd take him on (so to speak) even though on the inside I was trembling like a leaf. There were days when I thought I'd drawn my last breath. Usually when he was "High".
Now you couldn't ask for a better person. He has a big heart. Very kind to everyone. Doesn't know a stranger. His girlfriend and I laugh about sending him into a store alone. We've threaten to hang a sign around his neck. "Do Not Talk To Me." LOL. He's turned out pretty good.
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