A Dangerous Son

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Woman:

Tavi, I can't believe

you just did that.

Tavi:
Well, he--

I told you!

(slaps)

Stacy:

All right, forget it.

We're going.

Come on, Elexa,

let's go.

(girl crying)

Woman:
You have

to maintain yourself.

Tavi:

Don't ever bring

your son here.

(crying continues)

Shut up!

(crying)

Hey!

I'm upset! I'm upset!

I don't care!

You don't hit her!

Really!

No, 'cause you don't know

what the fuck is why!

Damn it!

Stop it!

(crying continues)

Stop!

Now!

Ow. Stop.

'Cause I'm not

in a good mood...

Okay!

...is the hell why.

(screams)

Stop! Stop.

Oh my God. Elexa!

Damn it, Ethan, knock it--

knock it off now. Now!

No, don't. No, Ethan!

Why don't you guys get

the fuck outta here, dumbass!

I'll kick your ass!

Shh! God damn it. Stop.

Stacy:

...hit the chair with?

Ethan:
Shut up!

(Elexa crying)

Stacy:

What did you

do that for?

Stop!

Ethan:

I'm upset!

Okay. You can be angry

at Uncle Tavi.

You don't need

to be angry at Elexa.

Ethan:

Because I'm not

in a fricking asshole mood.

Stacy:

Okay, but she didn't

do anything--

Ethan:

I'm not in a fricking

asshole mood!

(crying)

(whines)

(crying)

Liza Long:

I'd been trying for years

to get help for my son.

I... I was desperate,

and I thought

I was the only mother

in the entire world

who felt the way I did,

the only mom.

How can I not get

my child help?

Surely all the other mothers

are getting their child help.

Why not me?

What's wrong with me?

Creigh Deeds:

You know, I used

to worry that--

that Gus was gonna wind up

at a jail or a hospital

or-- or homeless.

Um, all of those

would be preferable

to the situation I'm in now.

If a state senator,

um, someone who's run

for governor,

whose name's

been in every paper

of the commonwealth--

if I can't get the help,

what does that say

about ordinary people?

We don't treat

mental illness the way

we treat other diseases,

and so the care

is just not available.

(Elexa crying)

(crying continues)

Stacy:

All right.

Thomas Insel:

Somebody once said that

a serious mental illness

is any mental illness that

affects somebody you love.

And in a way,

there's something to that.

I'm not

in a good mood!

Thomas:
For people

who have serious mental illness

and who are not treated,

there's a tendency

to violence,

especially towards the people

that they're closest to

and, most of all,

towards themselves.

And only about half

of the children who have

a mental disorder

are going to receive

any kind of care whatsoever.

(rain pattering)

All I get is people

that want to just sit there

and lecture me.

I need to do this.

"Do you understand that

your son's gonna do this

and that your son is this way?

Do you understand?"

As if I'm in denial

of something,

as if I might be able

to get some extra help,

but I'm just not wanting to.

And it is so frustrating

and so exhausting.

I can only stick

to my guns so far, Tavi,

because it becomes

too dangerous,

and that is why you're right.

Giving in to him in the end--

in the end

isn't the best idea,

because it does make him

more manipulative

and more worse.

Yes, but not giving into him

when he's really persistent

is also just as dangerous.

And that is why

the behaviorist already said

that he doesn't believe that--

anything I can do at this point,

he doesn't believe

there are any consequence--

he doesn't believe

I can do anything, myself,

at this point.

You think that--

Tavi, you think that,

but I hate to say it,

you think that,

but it isn't same.

You can train a dog easier

that a child like this.

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