066 – I’ve Had A Lot Thrown At Me, But I’m A Happy Human Being

<p>Rick’s birthmother relinquished him into foster care where he was terrorized as a toddler. He was eventually adopted around age 6 but always felt like an outsider. At 16 years old he reunited with his maternal family who informed him his mother was institutionalized for paranoid schizophrenia.&nbsp;Their reunion didn’t go at all how he had hoped. When he found his birth father, the man was incarcerated but welcoming. Eventually, Rick distanced himself from his birth father and when he tried to reconnect, it was too late.</p><p><a href="#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read Full Transcript</a>Rick:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.temi.com/editor/t/ps11MxwHcqArMdUW4jAJaaqfMMwfKcNFXSrbgR-CUw4mTF3Yia4-3EMIiHYvg2rRmooQB1QxxQsSCVa05zUxjG1To6k?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&amp;ts=3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>00:03</u></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Like this was part of her schizophrenia, you know, so she believes that she had another child. I’m an only child. She believed that she had a girl that was taken away from her too. So this is a lot for a 16 year old boy just to take in, you know, I’ve never been around anybody mentally ill. I’ve never experienced this. And now this was my…. This is my mom.</p><p>Voices:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.temi.com/editor/t/ps11MxwHcqArMdUW4jAJaaqfMMwfKcNFXSrbgR-CUw4mTF3Yia4-3EMIiHYvg2rRmooQB1QxxQsSCVa05zUxjG1To6k?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&amp;ts=35.92" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>00:35</u></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? Who am I mind?</p><p>Damon:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs