I’ve found myself copying and pasting these resources over and over again so I wanted to put it all in one spot. I’ll add to it as I go.

Initial draft: 28-Oct-2023

Writings by children with a schizophrenic parent:

  • Tastes Like War by Grace M. Cho
    • Have it on audiobook from Libro.fm but haven’t started it.
  • Shimmer by Alexandra Hewett
    • Have it on paperback but haven’t started it. She’s from NJ like me!
  • Swallow the Ocean by Laura M Flynn
    • Listened to the audiobook. Was very validating. Even though the details are different I felt her story in my bones.
    • It's the first memoir of a child with a schizophrenic parent that I started and finished. Haven't started any of the others I've mentioned because honestly I need a break. These memoirs are a lot to process and hold. They touch me where I'm still the most raw.
    • It was recommended to me by Kelly Barnhill on BlueSky and I'm so thankful to her for that gesture. Learning someone else's story as the child of a schizophrenic mother through this memoir made me feel so much less alone with it. I think I was too scared to look for such books on my own. I'm tearing up right now thinking about feeling so seen by her that she'd recommend the book to me.
  • Growing Up with a Schizophrenic Mother by Margaret J. Brown, Doris Parker Roberts
    • Haven't started it but have a physical book
  • The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok
    • Haven't started the audiobook yet
  • A Childhood Made Up: Living with My Mother's Madness by Brent Meersman
    • Haven't started reading the ebook yet
  • Committed: A Memoir of Madness in the Family by Paolina Milana
    • Paolina has a schizophrenic mother and sister
    • There but for the grace of God go I: When a shooter with a mental illness hits home (The Mental Illness Happy Hour)
      • Paolina worries about her family members' potential actions and the view of mental illness in society.

Interviews about growing up with a schizophrenic parent:

  • Interview with Alexandra Hewett by I Hear You - Sandra Lau (YouTube)
  • Interview with Mira Bartok by I Hear You - Sandra Lau (YouTube)
  • Interview with Dr. Margaret Brown by I Hear You - Sandra Lau (YouTube)
  • I was also interviewed by Sandra Lau. (YouTube)
  • Tiffany Haddish talks about her mother’s descent into mental illness (schizophrenia), the abuse she suffered at her hands, the year she spent in the foster care system and the strength she feels it has given her. (The Mental Illness Happy Hour)
  • Charlie King is host Paul Gilmartin’s support group friend and has led an astoundingly painful life especially in regard to his mother (schizophrenia, depression), father (workaholic, hoarder), and sister (drug addict). He describes his descent into drugs (crack), emotionally damaged women and violence before finding the key to understanding his behavior. (The Mental Illness Happy Hour)
  • Paolina Milana was born to Sicilian parents and she opens up about her childhood secrets; her mother’s and sister’s battles with schizophrenia and the policeman who groomed and violated her when she was 13. (The Mental Illness Happy Hour)

Online communities for children of schizophrenics:

  • Children of Schizophrenics - Mental Health (Facebook)
    • Kind of a quiet group but I find validation there even if I'm often the most active member
    • Also, I'm no Facebook-fan but it's where I'm finding others who grew up like me and are ready to talk about it.
  • I Hear You - Children of Schizophrenics (Facebook)
    • Sandra Lau’s FB page for her YouTube channel of the same name. I'm often in the comments there too.
  • A Schizophrenia.com message board for family members of those suffering from schizophrenia.
    • They have rules about maintaining the privacy and anonymity of all it's members, which I understand, but I'm tired of running from that part of me. I know I'll only continue healing in a trusted, safe community. However, to respect the rules, I won't directly link to myself there.
  • Children and adult children of parent(s) with mental illness (Facebook)
    • Found this private group via Christophe Bedeaux on my decade-old YouTube video about growing up with my schizophrenic mom.

Finding a childhood trauma one-on-one therapist:

Childhood Trauma Group Therapy:

Books on healing from Complex PTSD:

Other stuff:

  • Sandra Lau is a professional singer! Here's her wonderful voice. (YouTube)
  • My own story about growing up.
  • I wrote into an advice column at The Verge about growing up with my mom and the columnist, Leah Reich, was so kind to me.
  • I'll probably forget to update my reading progress on the individual books here but you can follow my reading journey on my profile at The StoryGraph. It's a social media site for books and has a really great recommendation engine.
  • Sandra found this lovely, heartbreaking animation about Sheri Heller growing up with a schizophrenic mother. I don't remember what my mother smells like anymore. (YouTube)
  • Testing my audio-video set up for my RRP Group Therapy Rage Work. (YouTube)
    • (Content Warning (CW): foul language and yelling)
  • Christophe Bedeaux linked to this site with Mental Health Info for Teens

Edits:

  • 31-Oct-2023
    • added links to the animation and my rage work video
    • formatting
  • 11-Nov-2023
    • added the link to my interview with Sandra Lau
  • 13-Nov-2023
    • added links to a blog post and interviews on The Mental Illness Happy Hour website
    • added the link to Paolina's memoir
    25-Nov-2023
    • formatting
    • updating links to explaining Relationship Recovery Program (RRP) group therapy
    • added link to Patrick Teahan's Instagram
    • added link to the other private FB group
    • added link to website for Teens with Family Mental Illness
    • added link to Dr. Jonice Webb's video about navigating the holidays