Growing Up With a Mentally Ill Mom : Reaching Out to Children of Mentally Ill Parents

"Growing up, I was constantly on edge. I had a mentally ill mom, but I was too young to understand that back then. What I saw was a parent who both loved and hated me. I never knew, waking up each morning, whether my mother would embrace me with a hug and say, "How did you sleep, baby?" Or glare at me from across the kitchen counter as though she didn't recognize who I was.

For many years, I hid my mother's diagnosis of schizophrenia. I thought to myself, 'No one will ever understand the special relationship I have with my mentally ill mother.' However, like many other mental illnesses, the more I educated myself about it, the less terrifying it was to speak openly about it."

- Brian Williams

This book looks at the impact of schizophrenia on familial relationships from the perspective of a child living with a mother who has been diagnosed with the disorder. Through storytelling, readers will come to understand how schizophrenia develops and the many ways it can affect family life. Included in the book are practical tips and strategies to help family members and friends who may know someone living with schizophrenia.

The message of the book is one of hope: You can live a prosperous and meaningful life having a relative or parent with mental illness.