“I’ll See You behind Bars”

A very fine line can separate those children enmeshed in the mental health system from those in the juvenile justice system. It’s a good thing Jason’s mother discovered homeopathy, or he might have ended up in jail.

Jason, twelve, was on the edge of juvenile delinquency. “My relationship with my husband and daughter are being virtually ruined by Jason,” explained Jason’s mom. First diagnosed with ADHD at age eight at the local children’s hospital in Portland, Jason was given Ritalin. At least everyone thought he was taking Ritalin—until his mother found the capsules under the rug two years later. He had only pretended to swallow the pills. When the evidence was discovered, Jason was coerced into actually taking his Ritalin. He developed “a stark look on his face and turned into somebody who wasn’t my son.”

A fidgety kid from the beginning, Jason’s mom quickly pointed out that he was very different from his comparatively angelic sister. Jana was self-motivated, gentle, soft-spoken, and made the honor roll. Jason was quite the opposite. At his worst, he screamed, yelled, denied any responsibility for anything, and had “a filthy mouth.” He regularly threatened to shoot or chop up his mother and to kill others. On the up side, Jason could be kind, loving, athletic, and intelligent.

“Third to fifth grade was a nightmare,” grumbled his obviously frustrated mother. “The school called me constantly to say he was mouthing off, sassy, and refused to do what he was told.” Jason was pulled out of the fourth grade after he kicked his teacher in the shins and, when she grabbed him, jumped on her back. He thought nothing of ripping off the blinds in his classroom. Authority made no impact at all on Jason. Defiant with his parents, teachers, even the school principal, he was convinced that adults were born to be challenged. Mouthing off disrespectfully, he taunted, “I don’t care what you say.” Getting Jason to do even the least thing was a major event, whether it was brushing his teeth or taking a pill.

“Jason drives me nuts,” lamented his mom. “Fidgeting, tapping, touching, talking. He’s exhausting! His sister became so fed up with him that she installed a lock on her door. Even so he’s kicked a few doors off their hinges. One time he came straight at me and kicked me in the leg. I made the mistake of knocking him back and then he really came back at me. No way I’d ever touch him anymore. Spanking only made him madder, out of control.

“I do believe he has a conscience. He doesn’t immediately say he’s sorry, but he will apologize two or three hours later. Jason’s mood can change in a flash. He’s not mean or cruel to animals, though. Jason’s a star football player, a fabulous skier, and he loves to roller blade and ride dirt bikes. This kid has to be first in line, first in the car, and he’s always rushing to the front. He used to knock down other kids on the playground. That’s why I thought football would be good for him. He was so pushy with his friends. It would inevitably end up in a fight. He’s friends with a couple of disabled kids. If anyone tries to pick on them, he’ll go for it to defend them.

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