where i grew up it was considered taboo to talk about mentally ill family members. the first person i was made aware that was mentally ill was my aunt. she was my dad’s oldest sister. she called our house one night for my dad and said people were trying to kill her. she lived in florida by herself she wound up in the hospital. my parents were known for their mood swings and their fighting. my dad’s mistresses and accusing my mom of cheating was another thing i thought was normal in all families but after spending time with my friend’s parents i realized wasn’t the norm.
my brother had behavioral problems ever since he was little and when he was 12 he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, ADHD and autism. my brother was abusive and was constantly on and off meds because he would dump them down the toilet.
i was diagnosed several times but the one that has most doctors agreed upon is schizoaffective disorder. my dad was diagnosed 5 years ago with schizoaffective disorder. my mom has had different diagnoses major depression or bipolar.
i have cousins who have come forward with bipolar, anxieties and depression.
i read somewhere that if people are aware that they have mental illnesses they shouldn’t reproduce. that bothered me