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Between the ages 8-11 my mother suffered a nervous breakdown. I am the oldest of 4 children. At the time my father worked shift work. When he worked the 3pm-11pm I had to step up and be an adult figure for my younger brothers and sister.

When I would come home from grade school it was not uncommon to find my mother in various corners of the home sitting just like this. Well…my mother was wearing a shirt but the position…I often found her this way.

I remember her being gone for a while. My father just told us mommy was sick and needed to stay by the Doctor. I learned that she was in a mental hospital.

After she spent time at the mental hospital she was transferred to a mental ward at a local hospital. It was Mothers Day. They allowed some children to see their mothers if accompanied by an adult. My father took me to see my mother. I was 11.

I learned the smell of a hospital…a smell I still do not like today. We entered the mental ward. They brought me to my mothers room. A scary skinny woman was sitting up in a bed. I did not see my mom.

The lady turns and smiles and says – “Scott, come say hi to mumma”.

I freaked. That was not my mother…or was it? I did not understand.

See..when my mother went off to the Dr. she was about 160 pounds. The woman sitting in front of my was all of 95 pounds. Due to rapid weight loss this woman had saggy skin and eyes that bugged out.

This was my mother.

The Dr’s were all pill pushers. My mom was bascially a drug addict…legally.

I remember her asking me to get her pills and a glass of milk. She took 13 different pills at once. Once to counter act another.

She smoked 2 packs a day and because of the drugs has little control of her emotions. One minute she would be sitting on the kitchen floor just like this photo. The other minute she would be beating me or one of my siblings.

During that time my mother attempted suicide four times. My father stuck with her through thick and thin.

When I was 12 my dad accepted Christ as his personal Savior. A year later my mother did the same. By the time I was 13 and a half my mother was healed. No more drugs, no more Dr’s, no more fetal positions. I accepted Christ as my personal Savior when I was almost 14.

My parents are still alive today. They are two of my best friends.

This image sparks up a lot of memories. Some good…some not so good.

On one hand I am thankful that my mother survived this time of her life and I had the opportunity to be a part of it. It helped me grow into the person I am today.

On the other hand the image makes me sad. Some child is in this position or finding a brother, mother, or father in this position as I type. This position does not necessarily mean a nervous breakdown…it does mean there are some serious issues the person is contending with. They need care.

My prayer is that in this lost hopeless world we live in, a world aching for peace, a world searching for hope, a world looking to fill the void in our lives…would turn to Christ…believe and have faith that with His help we can pull through anything.

One may ask why God allows such things, like what my mother went through. God works in ways we will never understand. I dont know all the answers. I do know that He wants us to look to Him and lean on Him.

Thank you for such a meaningful post. I hope you dont mind my novel of a comment. Your image is very powerful.

I wish I could deliver work as powerful as this. It’s brilliant.

Thank you for accepting and appreciating my comment.

Very emotional piece.

Oh… I see myself…

so powerful, moving & beautiful all in one… thankyou :-)

powerful moment that has all sorts of possible emotions in it, pain, sadness, relief, personal terror and personal joy, passion of pleasure just passed or abuse.. to carry all that in a single shot is amazing

wow…

Powerful and dramatic….................compelling image

Wonderful work!

There is a story here. We just have to wonder what it is. Wonderful shot!

If art doesn’t provoke an emotion, any emotion, it’s not art. this, is art.

Fantastic!! The B&W with graininess makes an excellent piece!

well done great b&w work

You have great passion and humility in your work. Your images evoke deep feeling.

I don’t mind replies such as yours. Very much respect passion and sense that you have heaps of it.

This shot jumps out of the page among the many

Great shot, very emotive!

Very full of emotion…..you captured it.

wow thankyou so much :-) will have to check it out.. much appreciated