In this episode, we listen to Miss Diva from the USA. She speaks about raising a son with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar, ADHD, PTSD, and Seizures in the African-American Community. Please be advised that this interview contains content about domestic abuse and may be upsetting for some audience members.TranscriptionWomen’s Voice: Welcome to the "Just Ask Mom" podcast. Where mothers share their experiences of raising children with mental illnesses. Just Ask Mom is a Mothers on the Frontline production. Today we will listen to Ms. Diva from the USA. Please be advised that this interview contains some content about domestic abuse and may be upsetting for some audience members. This interview was recorded at the 2017 National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health Conference in Orlando Florida. During this particular recording, you can hear noise in the background from another event in the hotel. Please don't let these noises distract you from Ms. Diva's story.

Dionne: I'm sitting here with you and I wanna say thank you very very much...

Miss Diva: You're welcome.

Dionne: ...for agreeing to be a part of our podcast. Can you please introduce yourself?

Diva: My name is Diva and I am called Diva because I have been through so much in my forty-four years on this earth until I feel like there is nothing anybody can do or say to break me anymore. And I feel like you can try but I'm always gonna  come out victorious because the Diva is always going to hustle - get it done for her and her children no matter what. If she has a man or she don't have a man, she don't need a man to make it happen. And that's me.

Dionne: Thank you. Well, tell me Ms. Diva, tell us a little bit about who you are and who you were, what are your passions? Who are you outside of and in addition to being a momma.

Diva: Oh my gosh! First of all, I honestly didn't wanna become a mom. I was scared that I wasn't gonna be able to give my children the love that they needed like they were supposed to have. Because when I was a kid I felt like I wasn't loved passionately enough as a child suppose have been loved by their parent and encouraged enough because my parents didn't give me that encouragement. They gave my younger sisters that encouragement but as for me, they didn't do that. But when I had my children I was like, "Wow!". When I had my first child I was like. "Ohh,hhuuhh!", you know, like "Oh, No!". And then had my second child after I am married. And then my third and my fourth. And then I was like, "Oh no, I'm a mom!". So I was like, "Okay, I gotta step my game up since I'm about ten thousand times more than what they did.". So my goal was to always let my kids know that: "I love you and there is nothing that you cannot do. I will never stand on the way of your creativity. The word ‘can't’ and ‘I won't’ will no longer be in existence for you all." My kids used to think I was mean because I used to give them books to read. So, they was like, "This is a punishment". No, it's not though my kids one of the--it wasn't. I have been through domestic violence, my kids have seen that. Still legally married to the man. He tried to kill me and my kids. So we are still standing the risk. That's why I say I'm that diva because I refuse to allow you to dominate my life because if I let you dominate my life, it's like you still have your hand in my life. "Oh no!", because I'm going to do what I need to do. I have four children: 24, 18, 16 and 14. I have an 18 year old. He has a bipolar schizoaffective disorder and the alphabet. And once--you know what I mean when I say the alphabet.

Dionne: Yes. The alphabet soup of diagnosis, yes.

Diva: And sometimes he has his good days, sometimes he has his bad days. And it's like, "Whoa, wait! Hold up!", and sometimes he wants to listen to me, sometimes he don't. But he's at the conference with me. He's doing good. When we walk past to come here, he was sitting in a class listening paying atte...