When someone suffers from a serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, most of the focus turns to the patient. But for a parent, spouse, sibling or child, the diagnosis can be just as difficult to deal with.
Sarah Chamberlain is an instructor with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Vermont. The organization runs a course specifically for family members. She speaks with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the course and the challenges of living with someone who has a serious mental illness, and how family members can connect with each other and learn to cope with the ups and downs.