When mental illness enters the family Tedtalk-Dr. Lloyd Sederer

One in five suffers from mental illness. Of those I personally know with family members experiencing mental health challenges, none have reached out for help. As soon as it entered my family, I became a google expert because I knew nothing about schizophrenia. It’s onset is a life event I compare with a death in the family. Though my son is alive and recovery is possible, I grieve a life that can’t be replaced. Attending National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) support groups removed the irrational guilt (and fear) that had set in. Mothers usually blame themselves for the unexplainable, which only keeps us locked in an emotional prison cell. I’ve made it a personal mission to encourage families to take care of their own emotional health by educating themselves on their new normal, which is the purpose of today’s share.