SCHIZOPHRENIC EPISODE ON CAMERA | Dr Syl's Analysis 

There is a content creator with schizophrenia that uses his cell phone as a form of coping with visual hallucinations. He will record what he is seeing and then watch it back to see if he is hallucinating. I find it to be a brilliant form of attempting to combat episodes and thought I would share.

i just looked up his channel. this video is 4 years old. in his latest video from a month ago, he shares he’s had a baby with his girlfriend. he seems to be doing much better which is really positive.

My mom is Schizophrenic, she started hearing voices as a little girl, but wasn't diagnosed until she was an adult. She said she always knew the voices were not real and would see a man in yellow shorts following her. She always prioritized my brother and I, which helped to keep her focused, and I didn't understand how ill she was until I became an adult. I just thought her behavior was normal when I was a child. Because I grew up in a single parent home, this is all I knew, but it taught me how to interact with people who suffer from mental illness.

Warning - 4:30 for auditory disturbance/sighing/groan, 7:30 for image/hand (they're just enhancements to the video while he discusses the different types of hallucinations). Take care everyone!

My heart goes out to anyone dealing with these symptoms. This disorder to me seems like living in a haunted world with phantom characters constantly invading their privacy and sense of safety.

As a mum the desperate sadness on his face right after he said "it told me to kill myself and so I threw my phone" that last time... He looked close to tears. That broke me. Up until then I was able to think "What a brave kid, putting his troubles out like that so that someone else might benefit. He's such a great guy and he's going to go far!". There's positive even in the pain. But that last look just made me want to pull him into a bear hug and make it so he never heard that again. Seeing someone so sad like that even for a fraction of time is rough. I can't even BEGIN to imagine living it. People who help with the management of these individuals must have to work hard to keep their own mental health in top condition because that pain is easily transferable. Really appreciate these videos, and I hope this lad is doing better now.

We need more education on how to recognize and respond to people experiencing schizophrenia. He’s brave and generous to share. This is likely helping his treating practitioners to adjust his treatments. It’s pleasing to read he went on to manage the condition well, and lead a fulfilling family life.

My nephew had schizophrenia. I say "had" because, last year he shot himself. He was a combat veteran in the Army. When he returned from Afghanistan, he had severe PTSD. This proved to be a lethal combination. He was paranoid the Army was spying on him. He would think the news on the TV was sending him commands and giving him instructions (army-related). He said a few times that he was tired of fighting the demons in his mind. He was hospitalized many times, but he was paranoid that his meds were laced by the government to kill him. Schizophrenia is the most heartbreaking thing to watch take hold in a loved one. RIP SPC Kenneth Adniskey, US Army, Afghanistan. Aunt Lissa misses you and loves you, every single day!

Listening to this creator talk his way through his hallucinations makes me think of the way I talk through a panic attack. Just saying things that come to mind and trying to keep talking about something so I don’t spiral as easily.

Ive experienced drug induced psychosis and its so bizarre. Even when you KNOW the hallucinations and delusions arent real they still FEEL real. I remember thinking the news anchor on tv was talking directly to me. I knew that was impossible but it felt real. I wouldnt wish that on anyone

An old friend of mine would go into psychosis every time he smoked weed. We tried to talk him out of it, but he was stubborn. So another friend decided to film him and show him when he was sober. It scared him and he stopped smoking weed for a while, but started again later and we lost touch. Later I heard he was admitted to a mental hospital after destroying his parents' livingroom. And way way later I heard he got addicted to heroin. Sad story. When he was sober he was a very friendly gentle kinda dude.

My best friend had schizophrenia. It has been teo years since her death and it still breaks my heart knowing all she went through.

This has been a big issue for me with having psychosis and the whole "insight" question. You can be psychotic and know it, but a lot of drs seem to think if you know this then you cannot possibly be. It takes a lot of experience of your own illness and i think a lot of intelligence also into self but it is possible to know that what youre experiencing isnt the same as other people. In a way it makes it even more scary. To know youre psychotic is to question everything because at least if you didnt have insight you were fully in one camp. To be psychotic with insight brings such a painful awareness of your situation, and fear not only from what youre experiencing but what it means to other people and how you are coming accross. I think my delusions always begin like intrustive thoughts not necessarily voices but it is a thought that feels inserted into my mind at random as if i had no control over that thought springing up and then it grows more and more repetitive until it becomes so infiltrated into my mind that i cannot get it out and then it seeps out into my behaviour. Edit: this more refers to the building up or the coming and going until a full on episode where you do lose touch mostly with delusional beliefs you can't look past them and see others trying to challenge you as a threat and mistrustful (hence never challenge someone's experiences when they're psychotic or youre part of the threat). However there are moments where you do come to reality such as being in a bad situation such as me running away knowing people were after me but not knowing what I had done and knowing that it wssnt right or normal to go through it.

I have watched a few of his videos because I find it interesting and admirable that he is willing to share this. I have had major depression since childhood with crying spells and inability to eat but it would come and go. My mom would help me through them. After she died very suddenly in 1990, the episodes and panic attacks worsened. I never told anyone because I was so embarressed and ashamed. I was eventually hospitalized in 1996 because I was quite literally dying. I couldn't eat, sleeping was the only escape from it but even then I would have horrible nightmares and sometimes smell things that made me have to throw up. I had to be hospitalized for a heart arrhythmia. I finally gave in and went to a psych ward where I spent 8 days. The best and worst thing that ever happened to me. When I went back to work several weeks later, I was obviously a lot thinner so I decided to just tell people about it. I couldn't believe the coworkers that would confide in me the different mental health struggles and hospitalizations also. All these years later, I have stayed on medication. I was afraid to take it all of those years ago, and now I'm too afraid not to. Especially since one of those coworkers eventually died by suicide.

I went through a pretty bad amphetamine addiction and it's eerie how similar drug induced psychosis is to psychosis from a mental health condition. The auditory/tactile hallucinations, the feeling that everything you see or hear is some kind of message with a deeper meaning, feeling like every person you see in public is monitoring you in some way. I truly feel for these people and I thank god that I only experienced these things because of drugs. edit: and oddly enough i've never had any issue with weed and psychosis and I'm in my 30's

okay that ghost hand that popped up at 7:39 scared the HELL out of me

Poor baby! That is a heavy weight to carry. I salute him for hanging in there and doing his best.He is strong!

I feel so bad for this young man. Life has got to be so hard. I have had depression and anxiety my whole life, and it’s been a hard life. So I can’t even imagine how hard this would be.

I love how you document your reviews. Kind, respectful, logical and informative but the biggest theme is kindness. Thank you for helping us non medical people understand some really common illnesses better. Big ups to you from over the ditch

I just found you for the first time while looking through my RU-vid. I listened through the whole thing which surprised me. I thought I had my fill of this during my time working at a state mental hospital. I like how you explained things that are so Unfamiliar to so many people. I’ve subscribed in the hopes that watching you will become a regular thing for me. My heart goes out to this young man. I felt a bit of desperation for him because he’s so young. Thank you for this episode. I’ll be looking forward to what may be next. I hope you might do more with him and his recordings.

Thanks Dr Syl for this video on schizophrenia. It makes me a bit sad to see that we seem to be such a mess:( though I am confident that with meds I can have a normal life. Thanks for always being so compassionate and empathic in your response. I find it hard to trust psychiatrists but you're changing this for me

I struggle with auditory hallucinations telling me I’m being stalked so this was relatable

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

My uncle has schizophrenia so it runs in my moms side of the family. I have ocd/adhd and mild Tourette’s. I’ve experienced mild psychosis but without medicine I have managed to find ways to help myself stay grounded .. brain health is very very important and that’s why I love watching so many neurologist videos. I don’t know if in the future I might have it but regardless I would love to learn about more in depth about it. Thank you so much for these videos Dr !!!!

The hand shadow was not good for me to see, or the weird sound that's before that. I don't know how these people can handle having this because as someone who doesn't have anything, I find it extremely terrifying! My heart breaks for anyone who experiences these things. 💔😔

I had a psychotic break years ago, and I was aware of my psychosis even though I found it very difficult to cope with. It was one of the most disturbing chapters of my life. There was a part of me that ‘knew’ that I was seeing and hearing delusions but at the same time they were convincing and everything seemed out of place and my room wasn’t the right shape. At one point I put a cloth over the mirror and I don’t remember why. A truly disturbing time. It was brought on by high stress and inability to sleep😊

How amazing for him to share this with the world. So brave!! Good on you guy!! So emotionally raw and true. Thank you so much!!

This video really helped me to finally realise that my ex WAS faking schizophrenia to me, thanks man

I watched this about 4 years ago.What impressed me was his ability to convey what was happening despite what appears to me as very disordered/interrupted thought process. I looked up his channel and he hadn't uploaded for quite some time and hoped he was ok. I will check to see how he is doing.

Thanks for the psa about drugs and schizophrenia. Please do that more! It kills me to see so many schizophrenics smoking weed and stuff like that, just making it absolutely difficult for yourself.

Man my heart goes out to him that has to be so frustrating and difficult everyday . Thank you for this video.

Thank you, Dr. Syl, for your compassionate and educational insights and analyses of this young mans brave sharing of his schizophrenia odyssey of the mind. As the mother of a schizophrenic daughter I feel very moved and grateful for the RU-vid platform you maintain-truly a much-needed lifeline for so many of us who struggle to navigate this dark and painful journey with our storm-tossed loved ones. It is a cruel, cruel disease. Blessings to you and the many afflicted patients and families you serve.☮✝💜💟💜✝☮

I can't begin to verbally express the absolute heart wrenching terror that was I felt when I heard the auditory hallucination "example". Having it come out of no where with no warning and no source truly does make you start to question your sanity. I can only hope those that have this disorder find peace and solace, wherever and whatever that may be.

You frightened the beejeebus out of me with the shadow hands over your shoulder talking about your patient with the spirit behind them 😂 I'm a lil bit impressed

This is one of the best videoes i've seen on skizofrenia! My dad has it and ended up homeless, but is now back in treatment. He don't believe he is sick so i have never been able to talk with him about it. I have spent years to understanding him but explaining it to other people is so difficult. You do it with excellence and it is very educational and without stigma!

my father had a schizophrenic episode when he was going through withdrawals from alcohol. it was quite strange to witness it from a different perspective because this one time, he took me out in the rain because he wanted to show me his orchestra that he was leading, and he was waving his hands around and humming while he had the biggest smile on his face. We were standing in front of the door of our closed garage while it was pouring outside. He also talked to plants and this one morning he was sitting on the porch and he told me that he saw my grandfathers parents sitting on the porch with him, pointing to them and talking to them. Witnessing this and seeing my father like this was really hard...But I can imagine it was quite confusing and frustrating for him because he couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't. I hope I didn't come off as insensitive or mean, I just wanted to share what it was like when my father had his episode. Luckily the episode only lasted a few days, but still, it was interesting but also very concerning to see how powerful a person's mind can be. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with this...(sorry if my English is bad, its not my first language)

Interesting. I had a friend with DID. One really has to think outside the box to understand these illnesses. I’m still very close to her and she has overcome many adversities. There is so much more to learn. I have always had an interest in psychology. It’s an interesting field.

13:34 Thank god you mention this because it is very difficult. When I was in high-school-it happened quite often but there’s this one particular time-I was taking an exam for algebra (the topic just makes it worse lol). I had mild auditory hallucinations throughout the day, but the exam was particularly difficult because it was impossible to focus. Sometimes the numbers or letters would change or morph, there’d be voices in my head telling me to rip up the paper or that I would fail no matter what, and the classroom was so silent that I could hear noises from other classes. It was the worst ever ‘episode’ that I had during school. I think at some point I genuinely could no longer do it, so I told my math teacher and he allowed me to leave to the nurse and take the exam another day. I appreciate how much awareness you bring to the topic.

It’s very refreshing to see a doctor believe that someone can have self awareness. I have schizotypal but experience psychosis. I too have to really fight to stay grounded during those times because I know it’s just an experience I’m having. I want to talk to a doctor about it but I’m scared they’ll say I’m lying since I’m aware of it.

Psilocybin mushrooms have been found to have great effects and could benefit those with depression and anxiety, but there's a big risk if you eat the wrong one

Very Interesting. Thank you for sharing Dr. Syl.

I DID NOT like the auditairy and shadow hallucination simulation.... Freaked out right now.😢

Thank you for being empathetic and explaining how these symptoms will feel to someone suffering from psychosis, rather than treating symptoms as something that nobody can understand.

I cannot thank you,enough for sharing. You have Helped me more than you will ever know. Thank you. God Bless. Please continue to share.

Kudos to this young man for publicly showing his condition. I developed hallucinations when I took Nortriptyline. They were fascinating and not intimidatory at all; I had always wondered what they looked like and knew that they were different for everyone. I only saw them when it was dark (in my bedroom). They turned into tactile hallucinations, but not every time. I had to stop the medication because it became old very quickly. I still hallucinate occasionally. The voices, I hope never to hear them, btw I'm not Schizophrenic.

He is *very* brave! It's terrifying to share about ppl talking to you and talk about alters.

I did time in prison and schizophrenics are sadly pretty common among the inmates. This condition is a living hell for many of its sufferers. Some of them had done unthinkable things. It breaks my heart for anyone living with this.

Nice touch having the shadow of a hand on wall behind you while describing having the sensation of someone always behind them.

When you said in the beginning "when they are having psychosis, how would they know they are having it." Hit home.. I had psychosis for two weeks and I thought I was the only normal one and everyone else was wrong... So thankful im not in that world anymore.

this is very educational and not weirdly drama based or to farm money. thank you for helping us learn so we can help people better.

I started having hallucinations while listening to you talk, and that chilled me to my bones. At least I knew the sounds weren't possible while you were talking. I really love your knowledge in being able to describe what's going on. I wish more doctors could watch your videos to have the insight to understand what their patients are dealing with.

Sending my prayers for this young man..

Thanks for an insight into schizophrenia and for a very empathetic and kind reaction. Also you mentioned Hi Ren! (My favourite artist) so that excited me 😂🖤

This is heart breaking

WHYYYY DID YOU PUT THAT AUDIO! Omg I freaked out and thought I was losing it!

This is incredibly insightful. I remember watching this some years ago and am still so thankful for this person having uploaded their experiences.

I saw the vid come up on my fyp a couple days ago and watched it, I feel bad for those who have to suffer with this ❤

Love your content ❤

Sometimes I’m watching his channel through the years, thanks for his braveness to share,hopefully he’s doing fine at the moment 🥰

Very insightful. Thank you for sharing I have been doing personal research on this illness.

Schizophrenia gives me goosebumps. It’s weird listening to someone describe what they are seeing and hearing and not seeing it myself.

Anyone else notice the shadow hand on the wall behind the doctor a couple of minutes in, when he was talking about the sense of someone being behind you? Goodness. Anyways. Thanks for posting this. It’s actually helped me come to terms with something. Take care!

I watch his channel, he said he started having early onset at 14. So he has been dealing with this for awhile, and medicated and doing treatment. So he is very self aware. I absolutely love that he does these and is helping others!

I can relate so much to this guy, and one thing that messes me up the most is the time passing feeling different. For me sometimes weeks feel like days, and I can't remember a lot of things. My memory is like blocked because of the hallucinations.

Link to reaction footage: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N3jo-0bdSsY.html 💥💥💥I'm making my first online course - yay! Pre-order my course “Dr Syl’s Therapy Skills” for depression and anxiety symptoms. Order before July and use the code “PREORDER” to get 35% off.💥💥💥 Link: payhip.com/b/T4gtn

I’ve been diagnosed with adhd, and I get periods where I get super fixated on something (either an interest or assignment for school). I normally am a very associative thinker (that’s where a lot of the distraction issues come from), but when I get fixated like that, it’s like my thought process speeds up like crazy, i get multiple layers of inner monologue commenting on each other, and I start seeing connections or coincidences that feel REALLY important and meaningful. I always recognise when this happens tho, and I’m aware that, for example, the music in the climbing gym PROBABLY isnt mocking me personally by their song choices… but I still notice all these things and they still feel like my brain is going 🚩🚩 notice this 🚩🚩its a pattern🚩🚩. Sometimes I start feeling unsure if I’m still drawing reasonable conclusions, but then I just check in with a friend and get their thoughts on it. The intense parts of these periods usually don’t last more than a week or so anyway. I’ve talked to therapists about this, and I’ve been screened for risk of psychosis (based off of one of those standard intake forms u have to fill in, not by explaining this), but no one has ever seemed too worried about it because of the self awareness and the choices I make to not engage with these impulses too much. It’s still strange tho. I feel like I can empathize with people going through psychotic episodes more than I should, if that makes sense. I also work as a nurse, and I have the most fascinating conversations with clients who want to share their experience with psychotic or manic symptoms. I sometimes wonder how dopamine plays into all this, and if you could connect adhd and psychotic or manic symptoms that way… But again, that might be me making connections based on how important the componants feel to me lol.

Much respect for him posting such a vulnerable video. I hope he's doing well. Also, he is so based for listening to Enigma.

I really appreciated how you explained phases and knowing if youre in psychosis. The past couple years I know when Im not being so reasonable anymore and when my beliefs are probably not true but they feel so real. My doctors tell me I am being an awful person who wants to ruin peoples lives because of my paranoia and I cant say things like that and they say I need to understand what Im saying so I say I know it’s probably not like that so they tell me then I am too smart for this. But when you talked about it I realized I did learn how to identify it. When it first started happening when I was 17 I didnt know and I got quiet about being vocal about it because I was made fun of and a therapist walked me through it when I was 19 and thats how I know. Well, “know” in some sense. I always feel embarrassed and stupid trying to bring it up and I don’t know how to talk about it and I lean towards just saying delusions or something but then the doctors will argue with me about it and it really doesnt change anything, in the end I am acting out and being difficult for others because of the fear and i just dont know how to communicate it without that and i feel stupid because i feel every time its happened its gotten worse and i dont believe i ever really went back to normal. Even the way i talk isnt right anymore, people engage with me differently now like I dont speak normal but i cant tell

My heart just breaks for this young man.

@Dr. Syl, Would you please talk about the therapy for schizophrenia, the steps and how it works?

nice reaction. this kid is legendary for putting it up, and later apologizing for not talking too much :D hilarious. he has a newer video with another schizophrenic episode, actually linked at the end of the video you watched - I strongly recommend it!

I really feel for people with this illness. Heartbreaking.

I have had a lot of clients diagnosed with schizophrenia and many of them had some sort of obsession with foil. They never explained to me but I think they all feel it can protect them on some way. None of them know each other and they used foil in odd ways. One client would put it over her vents, the other had it in random squares on the wall. I always thought this was an interesting thing.

Wow - poor young man - must be exhausting.

I think the examples of hallucinations and ideation was a good touch for someone who cant possibly imagine what its like. Its scary but its the reality for a lot of people, and should feel lucky we have the option to not go through it again. Thanks Dr!

The transmitter in your head made me think about the way I personally hear voices in my head I describe it as picking up radio waves snippets of sentences that don’t make sense without context and they have nothing to do with my train of thought at the time except for maybe one word and I’ve never had these demanding voices like people describe only the radio interference ones

Weird hand shadow? Took me by surprise.

I hope one day humanity finds a cure for all mental health issues. I have struggled with it pretty much all of my almost 40 years recently its gotten so bad to the point I have been in and out of the hospital and for the first time I went to stay in a mental health ward I guess you would call it for 3 or 4 days I feel they kind of put a bandaid on it, but I hope the appointment I have on the 6th can do more . Its scary not having any control over your body or your mind . I just hope I am finally going to get the help I need .

Breaks my heart to see someone suffering like this.

13:50 As some one with schizophrenia, I used to hate rap. Once I got treatment, I could actually listen and understand the words. I actually enjoyed rap, it was weird. I could comprehend what was said and wasn’t distracted by voices. Thank you for making this video. It really helps people understand. I’d be happy to talk more about my experiences

Who else saw the hand shadow on the wall @7.33

The sound effect at 4:30 should be noted. It's not an auditory hallucination!

Very interesting , thank you for explaining .

I cant explain how much respect I have for this guy

daaaamn i always hear the same album with enigma when i have an episode :/ im diagnosed with paranoid psychosis and it can be tough but music helps me alot i dont really wanna eat my medicin so sometimes its TRAUMATIZING to hear that most people are out to get you and i need to write notes and show out in the room so i have a feeling that my voices hear me and i dont give to much attention to it

The way you articulate these complex subjects is oddly attractive to me. I wish I had that skill to explain something so intricate in a way that someone who knows little to nothing on the subject would understand

I'm a Forensic mental health professional and former nurse. I was on 4 different SSRI's & narcotics to manage pain for autoimmune disorders. I went into serotonin syndrome and had hallucinations. How frightening. I can only fathom what it must feel like to be bombarded with messages from all your senses. Great video.

For two years I had intense tinnitus, it's relentless, day and night. It's essentially an auditory hallucination that never stops from the brain getting false information. It made me very sympathetic with schizophrenia. Half way through the third year it began to fade, I also considered ending things regularly in those two years. The hope of cessation keeps you going. I really hope there's a significant treatment.

How sad for this boy. ❤

I had hallucinations when I was 8 and I was in the hospital with a bacterial infection in my heart(i was there for 6 weeks and that was like after 4 weeks there).it was night. like 2 am. i felt like the nurse that gived me medicine at that time just left(i had a needle in my arm from the second day there so they put medicine while i was sleeping). it seemed to me that I heard something like "radioactive batteries" over and over again as a whisper. I thought I forgot to turn off the player and the sound is comming from it... I got scared, and I pulled the batteries out of the player, disconnected the headphones, covered my head with a pillow, but I still heard a whisper. I didn't tell the doctors, parents or other children about it. probably just a brain of a sick kid. 22 years past. never had that ever again. but that was so real... i couln't imagin how terrible it must be to hear and see things all the time

Amazing video. Also, I agree, Hi Ren is dooooope! ❤

Nice music taste. I love enigma. I really appreciate this man sharing his experience of Scz.

Thank you very much for this analysis. I'm currently seeking diagnosis for audhd and I don't believe I have schizophrenia, but some of these symptoms were really relatable to me; of course with less severity. A near constant barrage of voices in my head, for example. I do believe the voices are mine, even if they're talking to me in 2. person. When I am feeling unwell mentally these can be really intrusive(thought about loss, suicidal ideation)and sometimes I hear my name being screamed, but that's the end of it. The part from 13:00 about internal distractions was really insightful, because it reassured me I really need to seek psychiatric help, as this was and is a status quo for me, every exam, every task.

What a courageous young man, to share his delusions etc so openly. I can so empathise. I was recently diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder (three years ago now), after a period of episodes where I had become convinced that my neighbours were spying on me through the walls, and more specifically, through the mirror in the bathroom. I found it terrifying. I also had an experience where a picture on the wall seemed to come to life, and because the picture resembled my dead brother, I thought it was him, come back to speak to me. But it seemed to me that I had insight at the time, because it was like I was observing all of this from the outside, looking in. My medication (Aripiprazole) seems to hold off these episodes effectively, and I pray that I will not fall prey to them again. Although as I understand it, these episodes tend to be recurrent in Schizophrenia. I would love to understand in more depth the believed causes of such illnesses. I found Dr Syl's comments and asides to be so very reassuring.

The false memories are a big thing for my son and coincidences are really hard for him also. He has schizoaffective disorder also, and he is usually a very sweet adult boy, and will always be my baby boy, these are great videos thank you.

That explains a lot, my mom who passed away recently have Schizophrenia. She talk to me what experienced when she have an episode.

Hey, dr. Syl! Thanks for the amazing, educational content. Great video, so brave of him to share it. Is there any known reason why the voices mostly derrogatory or even command the person to kill themselves?

Not going to lie. The hand shadow that appears top left at around 7.32 of this video triggered me, I had to rewind it multiple times and show my partner to convince myself it was on the recording not my psychosis creeping in... I have bipolar with psychosis. I'm currently in a depressive episode. Although I still can't work out why the hand is there but please be mindful it is there. Thanks

I feel so very much sorrow for the people who suffer with this. My sister had auditory and visual hallucinations. I used to think that sometimes it was convenient , the content I mean. But I went to the hospital for triple bypass surgery. I had a psychotic reaction to either the pump, it is called pump psychosis, or a reaction to the fentanyl …what is important is after I realized how dependent we are on our brains interpretation of what we are seeing and hearing and what the meaning is. It has helped me understand my sister is not choosing to believe things. She has no more choose than so called sane people. We are wired to believe what our brains tell us. The fact that some of these people learn even a little bit to manage their illness makes them amazing.

Well thanks for the bit at the end about medications, my husband has paranoia but was never able to be treated because the insurance he had didnt cover mental health.. hes on new insurance thru a new job but we never checked to see about getting him seen.. we've just kinda been dealing with it.. i always wondered if medicine was his only true option for help and now i know.. will definitely be looking into his insurance now