Mr. Ayers and Mr. Lopez
September 6, 2009 4:50 PM
Discovered living on the streets by L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez, mentally ill musician Nathaniel Ayers has become the subject of a book by Lopez and now a Hollywood film. Morley Safer reports.
Recent Segments
Scroll Left Scroll Right
As I respect your son's mental illness and your experience with the anti-psychotic meds; keep in mind that those meds affect every patient differently. My incredible loving genius brother, who was admitted to MIT, Harvard and Yale has been affected with Schizoprhrenia and Schizo-affective..plus plus when we was 15 years old; he too was at Julliard for his amazing piano and violin talents. That being said; my family has placed him in the countries best of the best facilities for well over two decades and to find that in the end he's now in a state hospital in MA while at MIT. The cost of mental treatment is a cruel non-supportive health-care crime. I don't think Mr. Lopez situation would have been any different with all the various hospitalizations, clearly what he had needed was the connection of that someone to accept and support him which was not a threat to him and who entered his life without expectation and clear of any social and past history. BTW, any pharmacologist will tell you that the anti-psychotic meds are still based on trial and error.
The New Generation of Anti-Psychotics (called Atypical Anti-Psychotics) are far more effective than any medicine Mr. Ayers took years ago!
They control the symptoms of Schizophrenia! As a father who has a son with Schizoprhrenia, and a Member of the National Alliance for Mental Illness I can state this fact unequivocally. Mr. Ayers needs an Intervention. The Atypical Anti-Psychotics include: Geodon, Risperdal, Seroquel, Abilify, and as a last resort medication - Clozapine (but this medication requries weekly blood tests).
Any of the first four medications mentioned would end the demons that plague the life of Mr. Ayers. It is NEGLECT to not follow up on this suggestion for the benefi of Mr. Ayers. Please act on this suggestion.
- by pepe810 September 6, 2009 9:24 PM EDT
- You should do a follow-up story on CranioSacral Therapy and/or SomatoEmotional Release.. I believe people such as Mr. Ayers can benefit from this therapy.. and likewise PTSD and other emotional traumas.. in this day and age with healthcare costs and effectiveness.. we need to bring these types of therapies out in the open.
- Reply to this comment
See all 13 Comments