How a mother's 'overshare' saved her son

What happens when a parent shares an intensely personal story about her child in the wake of a national tragedy?

Liza Long decided to write about her son's mental health issues and her fear of his violent outbursts on the same day Adam Lanza shot 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Liza's blog post went viral with the title, I Am Adam Lanza's Mother.

Her post was called "the most outlandish version of… parental overshare." Liza was accused of exploiting her son and a national tragedy for media attention.

"When I heard the news from the East Coast, my heart just broke. I had a second-grader and a third-grader, so I could relate to the pain and anguish of those families," Liza told Out in the Open's host Piya Chattopadhyay. "But I also saw another side. I saw a young man who had been unable to access care, just like my child was unable to get the help that he needed."

Liza's son, Eric, exhibited violent and erratic behavior from a very young age. On the day of the Sandy Hook shooting, Liza's arms were still covered in cuts and bruises inflicted by Eric. For her, it was time to bring mental health to the forefront.

Because of Liza's post, Eric was properly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Four years later, he's become a mental health advocate himself.

Liza has complex feelings about her viral post and surprised us with her answer on whether she'd do it all over again.

But she is certain about one thing.

"I stand by what I wrote. It was our family's truth."