Andrea Yates R.N.

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Did you know that Andrea Yates, the woman who is now being re-tried for drowning her 5 children in Texas was a nurse? I just thought it was interesting.

Specializes in Critical Care.

The woman clearly had mental problems and those problems led directly to the death of her children. A sane person would not have done something so senseless.

That being said, that is NOT the standard of proof for innocent by reason of insanity in Texas. The standard of proof is that she didn't realize it was wrong.

The first thing she did after drowning those kids was to call her husband and the police to inform them of her deed. That indicates an understanding that her actions were wrong.

And that precludes an insanity defense in Texas. She will go back to prison.

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

I was just thinking today what a diverse group of people we have as nurses. We all come with our own stories.The stories that we see are not always complete, nor are they always all true.

There were a lot of factors in this situation. It is multifasceted. I think the blame rests with the psychiatrist and the husband, as well as Andrea herself. My heart aches for what Andrea must feel if she knows what she has done. The kids are gone, they are in a better place, but Andrea has to live with what she has done everyday for the rest of her life.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

This whole story is sad beyond words. We can't really help Andrea now or her children. Regardless of whether she spends the rest of her life in prison or in a psychiatric facilty, her lfe is ruined. But maybe we, as a society (and more importantly, as a community of health care professionals) can learn from this to help prevent other needless tragedies from occurring.

Things I have gleaned from Andrea's story:

Mental illness is a true illness, with the potential to cause much harm if not treated properly or misdiagnosed.

Often people with mental illnesses suffer silently for years because of the shame and contempt which accompanies this diagnosis.

There are usually warning signs along the way which must be heeded. If ignored, the illness will not just "disappear." Instead, it will build and horrible tragedy may result :(

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Specializes in CVICU.
There is an obvious difference to me, between Andrea Yates and Susan Smith. Susan Smith, I still say string her up.

That's how I feel. Susan Smith killed her kids b/c they were an inconvenience. Andrea had a long history of delusional thinking that Rusty said himself was greatly alleviated by Haldol. If he recognized that why didn't he make sure she stayed on her meds? Also, why did he keep plugging her up with babies long after her diagnosis, as if one or two more babies might help a psychotic woman already sinking under the weight of mental illness? It's almost like he was trying to shove her off a cliff. "Struggling with hallucinations and an orificenal of children honey? Let's have a couple more babies. Bye! Oh, call me at the office if you need anything, OK?"

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.

Any Tom Cruise followers here? Sometimes, if I suddenly wake up from a nap, I'll be so disoriented that I'll talk about standing on fluffy clouds or that I'm in an alternate universe in which the laws of physics are reversed or that I'm Lucky from the cereal box. Thank goodness that I wake up after a bit and become reoriented. I pity those who can never snap out of it. One time, while living with a boyfriend, I woke up in the middle of the night, saw him, and started screaming, thinking he was an intruder or something. When I came to my senses, I thought, "Holy crap, this is what it's like to have Alzheimer's."

My mom was an Andrea Yates on about a tenth of the scale. She had panic attack disorder, depression, anxiety, and severe social phobia. I had to practically raise my siblings at times because she had a habit of pretty much locking herself in her room and wallowing in it. She and my father attempted to remedy this by having more children (being a mother made her feel like she had a purpose in life and she was allowed to lie in bed all day while she was pregnant. I very strongly suspect that she was never acually issued any bedrest orders, as she always had such easy pregnancies and labors). She never went to counseling or anything, not wanting to open up to anybody or break the image of a good Christian family. Although she never drowned us, she still did some crazy things. A few years ago, she started Paxil and I think Depakote, and although she still doesn't have any friends and still has severe issues, she's improved drastically. I'm glad that she was eventually smart enough to stop having kids, although I wish that someday she'd get to the root of her own problems rather than try to control and blame others.

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It is interesting that sometimes mental disorders become more prevalent following a pregnancy. I feel that every mom or mom-to-be should be screened to see if they are at risk for ppd, especially since it can lead to pp psychosis.

As to why some dads keep pursuing the moms to have more children, who knows what they are thinking.

Unfortunately, a lot of people think that the suffering person can just "snap out of it."

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Specializes in EC, IMU, LTAC.

As to why some dads keep pursuing the moms to have more children, who knows what they are thinking.

Having too many kids beyond one's means is pure idealism, and I despise people who do it (people who live in countries without government support and the way to ensure one's future is to have children do not apply). They don't keep pumping out babies becasue they love children (in modernized societies, children are a privilege and I daresay even a luxury), they do it to selfishly fulfill something.

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Sometimes, if I suddenly wake up from a nap, I'll be so disoriented that I'll talk about standing on fluffy clouds or that I'm in an alternate universe in which the laws of physics are reversed or that I'm Lucky from the cereal box. Thank goodness that I wake up after a bit and become reoriented. I pity those who can never snap out of it. One time, while living with a boyfriend, I woke up in the middle of the night, saw him, and started screaming, thinking he was an intruder or something. When I came to my senses, I thought, "Holy crap, this is what it's like to have Alzheimer's."

Yes, I have what I call "daymares" on a regular basis. Usually they consist of something I've done irreversibly wrong that has set the clock ticking and I have about a minute to live. Lately they've morphed to I'm about to go blind in one minute. My distorted attention is always focused on the bedside clock (now it's the time on the cable box across the room). When I worked nights and slept days, I had a lot of "intruder in the house" daymares. I hate them worse than dreams because my eyes are open when this is happening, and I wonder if I'm going crazy.

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Specializes in home health.

For more insight, y'all can read the book _Are You There Alone?: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates_ by Suzanne O'Malley. Ms O'Malley was intrumental in uncovering the evidence which led to a new trial (the "expert witness" who lied about an episode of "Law and Order")

Rusty Yates, did indeed, try to get his wife help. Many misdiagnoses, changes in medications, a whacko "religious mentor" ...

I wish Texas had the same Law as Michigan.. "Guilty, but mentally ill"

as opposed to "Not guilty by reason on insanity" Big difference

I need to start writing letters to those in Austin....

Oh, and Susan Smith? Strap her in a car and submerge it until she passes out. Everyday for the rest of her life. Let her know the panic her children felt.

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Any justice out there for her ex-husband Rusty? Let's just say I'm not fond of him and find him morally reprehensible.

Couldn't have said it better myself. HE was the one who wanted more children and could plainly see that she was having problems. He should have been smart enough to know that if this was coming every time they had kids, well, it should be about time to get something snipped. He did work for NASA after all, and I know those guys/gals are pretty bright. How come did he not see this??

If it's true that he wanted more and more kids w/o given Andrea a break, then how selfish can one get?

These are just my opinions and I don't mean to flame anyone.

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Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.

I'm in agreement with you multi...I think both her husband and her priest need to have their testicles removed permanently.

I'm sorry but you can see from various pictures that this woman is NOT normal. At all. And of course the hubby's never there...off making the money and just knockin' her up when the mood strikes him. Ugh.

Here's a good short summary of the case.

http://crime.about.com/od/current/p/andreayates.htm

Personally, I think she was delusional, insane, and nuts as they come. Her trouble seemed to escalate when a new psychiatrist took her off of the haldol and told her to "think positive thoughts."

Any justice out there for her ex-husband Rusty? Let's just say I'm not fond of him and find him morally reprehensible.

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Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics, Chem. Dep..
Like maybe she knew exactly what to say and how to act to be crazy? Hmmmmm, I think I said that before I knew she was a nurse. :angryfire

Like, nursing makes you nuts?

Or at least aggravates what you have, given the stress and the lack of respect ...

Only kidding a LITTLE -

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