He was a straight ‘A’s student right from the start of his schooling till his second year at University which was his last year of formal education before his illness was discovered. While he was at school, the Parent-Teacher Meetings (held in the same hall where his Memorial service was held in November last year) were a great source of joy. His teachers were more than happy with him. He asked intelligent questions. He contributed well to school activities in and outside the class and they enjoyed teaching him. They had no concerns whatsoever.

Intellectual ability delays the diagnosis of mental illness as the patients are smart enough to handle it and hide it for a long time. They can find out everything about their illness and know the implications. They feel the sense of loosing themselves very acutely and it pains them deeply. They worry about what they might loose next. They are very concerned about how they might be perceived as they are used to being very good at whatever they do. There is too much uncertainty and too much at stake. I know these things to be true for my son.

Today I watched the film ‘Still Alice’. The protagonist has early Alzheimer’s, a mental illness with behavioral implications. She reminded me of him and gave me a deeper insight into his world. Great film and a well deserved Oscar for Julianne Moore. In one scene she says that she would much rather have been diagnosed with cancer. I understand what she means.

I hope mainstream media puts more attention on increasing the awareness of mental illnesses. It’s good some celebrities are. Here is a TV interview by Stephen Fry that is as always, honest, compassionate and informative: