Overview

Living alone as a teen with her mom's untreated schizophrenia, Sandy experienced disturbing behaviors and learned quickly how powerless she was to bring her healthy mother back to normal. But in time, Sandy learned to love her newly mentally ill mother, to delight in her and to have a meaningful and positive lifelong relationship with her. Mom and Me is a true success story of how both mother and daughter healed through facing the challenges of mental illness.

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9781633932791

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Reviews

Praise for Mom & Me: My Journey with Mom's Schizophrenia This is a story of a girl growing up with a mother who gradually develops a serious mental illness, schizophrenia, and who becomes impossible to live with. First impossible, and then a heavy emotional burden. In the end, it is a story of hope. Alexandra Georgas is witness to the possibilities that human beings have of healing the persons they love. -Mary V. Seeman, OC MDCM Professor Emerita Dept. of Psychiatry University of Toronto Living with mental illness shapes everyone in the family, often in unexpected ways. Alexandra Georgas tells the story of her and her mother's shared journey with schizophrenia. It is a story of despair and hope, of letting go and holding on. Most of all, it is a tale of hard-won resilience. -Meg Wallace, freelance book editor, graduate student in social work at Baylor University At Thresholds we know how invaluable a family member support system can be in creating recovery for persons experiencing mental illnesses. It's difficult to share the story of how mental illness has touched your family, so I applaud each person like Alexandra who bravely does so. -Mark Ishaug, CEO, Thresholds It is a mark against us as a society that schizophrenia remains such a stigmatised malady. Many countries around the world have closed down large mental hospitals and people with schizophrenia are now largely living in the community. Yet many remain with a feeling of lack of engagement with society and much of that feeling mirrors stigmatised views about schizophrenia. Sadly, it is also the case that family members, whilst having to deal with what can be a difficult journey and illness in their loved one, also feel that lack of societal inclusion. Thus, anyone brave enough to tell their story as a family member of someone with schizophrenia, is to be commended. I hope this book, a true life story, will be a rich and rewarding read and will help people understand the person apart from the illness and also appreciate the way it touches family members. -Dr. David J. Castle, Chair of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Mom and Me is a treasure of a book for so many reasons. In chronicling life with her mentally ill mother, Alexandra Georgas provides a vivid portrait, rich in everyday details, of the devastating impact of schizophrenia on families and society. The author also illustrates the role of a vibrant faith in dealing with personal tragedy. Further, she provides hope for individuals and families who struggle with serious mental illness. I read this captivating story in one sitting. I highly recommend this gem of a book to anyone affected by serious mental illness, which is pretty much all of us. -Robert J. Gregory Professor Emeritus of Psychology Wheaton College, Illinois A story of love and its redemptive power to transform loss, pain, and bewilderment into peace, wisdom, and belonging. -Ruth Goring, poet, author of Soap Is Political

Author Information

Alexandra Georgas is an author, international speaker, and performing songwriter who has a heart for people with mental illnesses and their loved ones. A graduate of Second City in Chicago, Alexandra peppers her work with humor. Her CD The Real Deal contains original songs that tell stories of her life. Alexandra is a supporter and speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and a member of the Associate Board of Thresholds, an organization that provides stellar mental health services and housing in the Chicago area. She has a Master's degree from DePaul University and has spoken at technical conferences throughout the United States, Europe and South America.

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