Dear Producers and Brian Williams:

 I am shocked and saddened that last night, Brian Williams said Ariel Castro is “the face of mental illness.” 

No, he most certainly isn’t.

Not only did a psychiatrist testify that he IS NOT mentally ill, but the horrific things he did are NOT a byproduct of any mental illness.

This is the face of mental illness.

This is my 19 year old son, Tim. Tim has Schizoaffective Disorder, which means he struggles with both Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. Tim is like 94% of persons with severe mental illness. He follows his care regimen of medication and therapy. He’s trying to learn a job skill in an extended high school program. He participates in trainings of Chicago police officers and Child Protective Service workers to show what childhood onset mental illness looks like. 

And it very definitely DOES NOT look like Ariel Castro.

Sincerely,

Chrisa Hickey